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2021 Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade cancelled

Santa Claus rides in the 2022 parade in Winnipeg. The parade returns on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. Santa Claus rides in the 2022 parade in Winnipeg. The parade returns on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m.
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Winnipeg -

Santa Claus won’t be coming to town for an annual Winnipeg parade this year.

The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade is cancelling its in-person event once again in 2021, citing concerns over the safety of children in attendance.

“One of the key considerations was the fact that our audience is under 12 and not able to be vaccinated,” said Monica Derksen, parade director.

“A lot of the big events that are happening that are going forward are in controlled spaces where you can check for vaccination, and we aren't able to do that in this setting. We aren’t able to control the density of the crowd or the number of people that show up because it's free, and there's no sort of admission points that we can manage.”

Derksen said organizers considered a few different options but in the end, it didn’t seem feasible.

“Now, going into the fourth wave and everyone's students being back at school, I guess we were just very hesitant to risk anything,” she said.

In its place, organizers plan to launch some fun holiday activities and surprises for Manitobans. Details will be released closer to the holiday season.

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