Santa Claus Comes to Town - VI

And finally the big moment was here!

Preceded by a band playing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" non-stop the entire length of the parade route the Man himself arrived. Though by the '50s he was in the traditional sleigh with reindeer in other years he had arrived by train, wagon and for some reason one year on a gigantic silver fish!!!



Santa's identity was a well-guarded secret but there was always a second one just in case. The "fill-in" Santa would be in a car with blacked out windows that followed the parade at a discreet distance - just in case!



Many in the crowds would follow him up to Toyland where secret (and not so secret) wishes would be whispered in his ear. But in our house we went off to Diana Sweets for lunch and since we were downtown a movie at either the majestic Loews or Imperial theatres. The visit to Toyland was always reserved for a later day when little spirits were a bit less excitable.

21 decembre - San Pietro Canisio

Santa Claus Comes to Town - IV

Eaton's Department Store held its first Santa Claus Parade in 1905 in Toronto. The Parade was so successful that in 1909 the company decided to stage a similar parade in Winnipeg.
I was one of those kids who thought that giant caterpillar was a monster - I hated creepy, crawly things. I was quite content on year's when it didn't make an appearance.


The small hand-pulled tableau wagons were a good way to recycle paper-mâché figures from previous large floats. Some of them were animated by gear works attached to the wheels.


In 1965 when Eaton's abandoned the Winnipeg Parade because of rising cost and declining profits it was taken over first by the Winnipeg Firefighters and then as a combined effort by various civic groups. This year's parade celebrated 101 continuous years of welcoming Santa to Winnipeg.

16 decembre - Sant'Albina

Santa Claus Comes to Town - III

A few weeks after the 1951 parade had made its way through the streets of downtown Toronto the preparations began for the 1952 edition. Eaton's Special Projects manager began meeting with designers and the construction chief in their suburban workshop. The final designs and plans were settled on in late February and work could begin.


I seem to recall that the only real horses we saw in the parade were those ridden by the Toronto Police Mounted Squad at the beginning of the parade - even Cinderella's steeds were created in the Weston workshops. Unlike today when many floats are created from Styrofoam, in the 1950-60s they were constructed from plywood, papier mâché and wallboard. Forms were cut and shaped on metal, chicken-wire and wood frameworks.


Metallic papers and gallons of paints gave them colour and texture. Floats could take anywhere from two weeks to two months to complete depending on the complexity of the design and animation effects required.


From the earliest days Eaton's floats were known for their animation effects - sew-saws, turntables, prancing reindeer and moving figures. Up until the 1980s the dynamics of movement were accomplished in the simplest manner possible - students hidden within the frameworks manipulated the gears.

12 decembre - Santa Giovanna Francesca Frémiot de Chantal

Santa Claus Comes to Town - II

Though in later years the parades would have definite themes in 1952 the parade had a broader scope. The floats went beyond the traditional fairy tale characters with some fanciful and unusual floats that still reflected the world of children.



Eaton's had published the story of Punkinhead, the sad little ginger-haired bear who wanted to be in the Santa Claus Parade in 1948. By 1950 he had been established as a favourite appearing not only in the Parade but in Toyland as merchandise: stuffed animals, watches, records and story books. He was still a feature as late as 1986 in their Christmas marketing. I only wish I still had my Punkinhead stuffed bear - apparently it would be worth a small fortune today.


Is it just me or does this look like propaganda for the Toronto Board of Education?? Though the colouring book only showed two froggies walking beside the float there would have been 20 or more - all of them Eaton's employees, their family members or students from local schools - all volunteers.



Costumes for the parade were made to standard sizes and marchers were fit to the costumes with minor adjustments being made. Most of the costumes were a size too big so warm clothing could be worn underneath. Even a court lady can get cold when the wind is blowing down Bay Street.

08 decembre - L'Immacolata Concezione

Santa Claus Comes to Town - 1952

Last year I thumbed through the first colouring book that the Eaton company put out in 1951 for their annual Santa Claus Parade. The Parade was a big event in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg. It meant that Christmas had officially begun - I seem to recall it being on the last weekend of November and Christmas decorations didn't appear until then - anywhere. Of course there is a possibility that I may be romanticism everything with the "things were better back then" brush old folks like me tend to paint things with.

And looking at the calender of Saints I noticed today was Saint Nicholas so what could be more appropriate than starting a look through the following year's parade in the Eaton's collection at the wonderful Archives of Ontario.

The 1951 colouring book had been a runaway success for the store but there had been a few complaints that the drawings were too detailed for younger children to colour. The 1952 and subsequent editions had simplified drawings which allowed for bigger swatches of colour but remained faithful to the fantasy of the floats we saw on the parade route.



Looking at that Drummer following the majorette reminded me that the Black Watch Band always officially led the parade off.


The average float was around 40 feet long but no float could be over 15 feet high because of the overhead electrical and streetcar wires. Of course to us kids they were gigantic and the people riding on them - mostly Eaton's employees - were magical and that Princess! Why she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen!

And over the next few days we'll follow the parade as it wends its 10 kilometre route from Christie Pits to Eaton's Flagship store on Queen St.


06 decembre - San Nicola di Bari