You wouldn’t have heard about it, but Mayor Brian Taylor was there to turn on the lights at Gyro Park Friday, Dec. 4.
It was a small ceremony — just the mayor, city hall’s Kevin McKinnon, a public utilities employee and The Gazette — but it had to be done. There are certain traditions, like the Santa parade that would normally have led up to the light show, that must go on, pandemic or not.
Shouting through his face mask, Taylor counted down from 10 and, with a wave of his hand, the Christmas light display flickered to life. City hall decided against the usual fan fare on account of the pandemic.
There was no one there to hear him speak, but the mayor offered some sage words as the city geared up for Santa’s Safe Ride, where Santa and Mrs. Claus sleighed past countless Grand Forks residents who watched from a safe distance.
“I’m telling people out there to be good to each other,” he said.
“This in the time when we need to be careful. This is the time when we need to take special precautions, but we also need to reach out to friends and make sure that people know that you love them.”
Santa’s Safe Ride took off from the Grand Forks and District Rec Centre shortly after 7 p.m. The cortege featured Grand Forks RCMP, Grand Forks Fire/Rescue and a host of city and area clubs whose colourful floats lit the way for Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The procession followed to a tee the route planned by the city’s Parade Committee. The only hiccup was when a white tail deer ran in front of Santa’s sleigh, pulled by Gabe Warriner, who deftly avoided hitting the animal.
The deer might’ve been training to take over from Rudolf and the other reindeer, Mrs. Claus suggested.
The parade continued without a hitch, making a safe return at the Rec Centre some time before 9 p.m.
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