Holidays in Winnipeg | 2014

in Winnipeg

Accessible for All

There are three special- needs seating areas for people with mobility is- sues at the parade. Indoor seating areas will be avail- able in the skywalk over Vaughan Street and at MTS Centre, near the Tim- othy Eaton statue. Outdoor seating is available near the bleachers at the Uni- versity of Winnipeg. People with special needs can register online at www. winnipegsantaparade.com to receive a free ticket for themselves and one guest. Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade executive direc- tor Ron Mark says there are also “yield to special needs areas” along the pa- rade route. “Anyone with mobility is- sues or any other chal- lenges can report to the Host-a-Block or just see any of the No Feet On the Street people and there will be a viewing area at the front of the crowd at all intersections along the parade route.” ❅

Heroes and Helpers A sAlute to pArAde volunteers Santa has many helpers during the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade — around 800 of them. Jackie Britton, marketing representative for Manitoba Hydro and parade volunteer coordinator, says there are many wonderful people who help out, and some are real standouts. “There was one particular volunteer that showed up, kind of late to the game, and she said, ‘Just throw me into a position, whatever you want me to do, I will do,’ ” Britton says. That volunteer turned out to be so reliable and so able to step up that Britton decided she wasn’t going to let her go. Now, Andriana Demchuk not only sits on the board, she is the chief organizer for the Host-a-Block parties. “She’s the one who’s actually built up the host-a-blocks to what they are today,” Britton says. Another volunteer who has a special place in Britton’s heart is Ken Guilford, who claims to be the oldest volunteer participating. “Ken signed up for the parade when we still had flag-bearers, and he showed up for the parade with his walker,” she says. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, did I ever mess up on his placement! He’s got to carry this flag in the parade!’ ” But Guilford insisted that walking was what he wanted to do, and walk he did, with the flag duct-taped to his walker. “The next year we made him a flag bearer and we duct-taped the flag to his walker again and he was so happy to be able to do that,” Britton says. “The last two years, he’s now become a cos- tumed walker and this year he will be one of the hot dogs!” Britton says the aim is to give everyone an opportunity to volunteer, and there are a variety of jobs for people of all ages with all kinds of skills. Volunteers help with parking at the Great West Life lot, marshall floats, run warmup areas and act as costumed walkers who bring spirit to the parade. And many volunteers help out at the Host-a-Block for Santa parties and the No Feet on the Street patrol. “There are 17 block parties all along the parade route and some of them are so fantastic and I’m so excited about them,” Britton says. “Everybody is really stepping it up this year, so I really recommend that spectators go online and figure out where their best fit is for the day because there are some really fabulous block parties.” By Wendy King

Volunteers make sure the parade is fun and safe for everyone. Photo courtesy of Manitoba Hydro

The block parties started as a way to help keep the kids busy while they waited for the parade to start, but they have also been instrumental in helping to keep the streets clear for float drivers, who have limited visibility. “We thought, ‘Let’s use the parties to build rela- tionships with everybody, have fun with them and then they will be a little bit more eager to step back,’ ” Britton says. It’s a fun strategy that works in tandem with the No Feet on the Street program. Volunteers dressed in bright yellow safety vests patrol the parade route to ensure everyone maintains a safe distance from floats. “It’s still having fun with the crowds and while be- ing very nice and very polite, it’s really worked at keeping the spectators safe,” Britton says. It’s pretty easy to feel warm and fuzzy about this group of volunteers, a group Britton describes as a family. “So many people come back, it’s wonderful, and I love, love, love to see that, and I love to see new people too, because they come with fresh ideas,” she says. “But I’m so proud to know that we have such a huge return of volunteers and we really have be- come such a wonderful family, and thank you to all of them!” ❅

Craft Bake Sale & Lions Place ishavinga

Unique Products &Gifts!

29 th Annual Traditional German Christmas Market Local crafters, German imports, café & bakery, children’s corner, hourly entertainment & more ... Location: Fort Garry Place Mall, 81 Garry Street, Winnipeg, MB. directly behind Hotel Fort Garry Dates: Friday, November 28, 10:00a.m.- 8:00p.m. Saturday, November 29, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00p.m. Sunday, November 30, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00p.m. Contact: German-Canadian Congress, 204-989-8300, www.gccmb.ca Interested in volunteering? Call us!

December 5, 2014 - January 7, 2015 6:00 - 10:00 pm nightly www.TourismPortageLaPrairie.com 204-239-8334

Saturday, November 29th, 2014 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 2ndFloor 610 Portage Ave between Furby & Langside

ADMISSION ISFREE

For table rentals contact Nancy Pidhirney@ 204-784-1210

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