Holiday parade cancelled

It’s official, Santa lovers. For the first time since the pandemic, the annual holiday parade has been cancelled.

The announcement from the Kahnawake Peacekeepers surely came as a shock for many in the community. The police force was close to calling it off the last two years but managed to gather enough participants just in the nick of time. This time around they weren’t as lucky.

The Peacekeepers shared the news with the community on Friday, November 8. The police force had been urging local businesses and organizations to sign up by then, warning that if not enough stepped up, they’d be left with no other choice but to cancel the November 17 parade.

“We were hoping for 15 at the minimum, but we didn’t pass single digits,” said spokesperson Kyle Zachary, who’s been responsible for leading the organization of the annual parade. “It’s heartbreaking, you know. It was the best part of the year, seeing the faces during the parade, hearing the excitement and kids’ voices. It was a really magical time, and to not have it anymore, it stings a little.”

The police force took over the parade in 2010. Prior to then different organizations in town would take their turn at hosting it - Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) was the first ever to put it on.

“The Peacekeepers will still be happy to participate, but the actual planning and executing of it is too much for us at this time,” Zachary said. “It was a drain on police resources, and we couldn’t justify it.”

Another organization will take over the reins from the Peacekeepers to run next year’s parade, Zachary shared, adding an announcement should be out soon about that.

“It’s unfortunate that it happened this way, but I think that a lot of us are tired,” said Lisa White, who had been hired to put together the float for Caisse Populaire.

While she’s grateful for all the “wonderful activities” Kahnawake is home to, like Trunk or Treat that was held last month, she said it’s been a lot for everyone to take on.

“It’s almost every weekend,” she said. “They’re back-to-back, and it’s a lot of work for the organizations and small businesses. It’s a lot, and it’s really expensive, and it takes a lot of dedication, usually from volunteers.”

She wasn’t surprised the parade was called off, seeing as she had last heard there were only seven participants in all that had signed up. That seven included the Peacekeepers and local fire brigade - two that always show up for the annual tradition.

“I have mixed emotions. I’m disappointed, but I’m also relieved,” said White, adding she would have only had a week to put together the entire float.

“Maybe we need a year off, and if another organization wants to take it over, they can,” she said, thanking the Peacekeepers for all the hard work they’ve put in over the years to run it.

White didn’t make any major purchases toward her float, but organizers at KSCS weren’t as lucky. They had already ordered costumes and giveaways for kids in anticipation of the parade.

“We were going to do a Muppet Christmas float,” said Rebecca D’Amico, part of the group at KSCS that had been volunteering to create their float.

About a dozen staff had been set to arrive dressed up as a cast member from the show.

“It’s disappointing, but at the same time, when you’re planning these big events, you need community participation in order for them to be successful, it’s not just on one organization,” D’Amico said. “In order for these things to be successful, you need to have buy-in from a cross section of the community. So I understood, I absolutely understood.”

As for whether KSCS will be the organization taking on as of next year, D’Amico couldn’t confirm just yet.

“You’ll have to stay tuned,” she said. “That might be something we would look into down the road.”

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