notes from the santa claus parade (1918 edition)

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Vintage Ad #1,753: Oh Joy! Santa Claus Comes to Toyland

While there will be a lot of happy faces at today's Santa Claus Parade today in Toronto, I suspect they may not match the joy expressed along the procession route in 1918. That year's parade rounded out a week that began with the signing of the armistice that ended World War I. Despite the other celebrations and parades that week, Torontonians weren't too pooped to watch Santa make his journey through the city. And a journey it was: back then, the route began at Yonge and Eglinton and made its way south until it reached Eaton's Toyland at the corner of Albert and James (an intersection that survived the construction of the Eaton Centre).


The Toronto Daily News provided detailed same-day coverage of the parade:

news 18-11-16 santa claus parade pt1

news 18-11-16 santa claus parade pt2

news 18-11-16 santa claus parade pt3

Source: the Toronto Daily News, November 16, 1918.

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