Santa Claus making special summertime visit to Moncton
The City of Moncton has been making a list and checking it twice to ensure everything is just right for a special visitor this weekend.
Santa Claus is stopping by the Hub City to spread some Christmas cheer, in the middle of the summer.
Jillian Somers, the events and tourism director for the city, says the visit is part of the municipality's "Summer in the City" initiative, offering events throughout the summer that comply with current COVID-19 restrictions.
"When we looked at the 24th and the 25th of July falling on a weekend, we thought 'what better way to bring a little hope and cheer', and couldn't we all use that after the 18 months we've been through? So we invited Santa and he, thankfully, said yes," says Somers.
Saint Nick will arrive in style on Saturday, riding on his signature float from the Greater Moncton Santa Claus parade, which was cancelled last year due to COVID-19.
"I figured I'd do a little stop in, make sure everyone's doing great, make sure everybody's behaving and getting all ready for hopefully a wonderful season," said Santa from his workshop at the North Pole.
"We were disappointed obviously in 2020 to have to postpone to cancel for that year, so we're bringing them out. We're bringing our large lit Christmas tree and Santa's sleigh," says Somers.
Santa will be on Downing Street in the city's downtown core for two hours beginning at six o'clock.
"We have a large platform complete with Plexiglas so children can go visit, chat with him and have their picture taken in a way that is COVID compliant," says Somers.
Downing Street between Main Street and Assomption Boulevard will be closed for the day to allow for the visit.
A rain date of Sunday, July 25 has been set.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.