recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Big Bad Wolf

The float during the 1985 CBS telecast, as part of the 1985 CBS All-American Thanksgiving Day Parade.

### Years Active

1985

The Big Bad Wolf is the main antagonist of the children's story, The Three Little Pigs.

## History With The Parade

In 1985, a float called the Big Bad Wolf was added to the parade. He was a self-propelled float, and three parade volunteers dressed up ad the three little pigs rode on top of the float. The wolf wore a straw hat and blue overalls. His eyes could roll, and his mouth could open and close. The float was sponsored by Dominion Securities, a division of the RBC Financial Group.
Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter. He is one of the biggest artists in today's generation of music, with some of his biggest hits including Shape Of You, Perfect, Thinking Out Loud, and most recently, Bad Habits and Shivers.

## History With The Parade

Ed Sheeran performed his holiday song "Merry Christmas" in the 2021 Toronto Santa Claus Parade.
Ripley's Aquarium Of Canada

**Ripley's Aquarium Of Canada** is an aquarium under the ownership of Ripley's: Believe It Or Not!. It is located in Toronto, and it is also the only Ripley's Aquarium in Canada. The aquarium opened on October 16, 2013, and it houses approximately 20,000 species.

## History With The Parade

In 2017, Ripley's Aquarium Of Canada sponsored an aquarium float, which features many ocean animals. At the front of the float, there is a green sea turtle, which was reused from Redtag.ca's Tropical Vacation float. The float also displays a clownfish, blue tang, Picasso triggerfish, lookdown fish, lined seahorses, a southern stingray, and a sand tiger shark that towers above the float's supporting cast. At the back of the float, there is a large book that shows interesting facts about a few fascinating creatures of the deep. The float made its only appearance in 2017.
Forever Knight

Forever Knight is a Canadian television series, created by Barney Cohen and James Parriott. This series was a television adaptation of the 1989 film Nick Knight, and it aired for three seasons on CBS from 1992 to 1996, with a total of 70 episodes. The series revolved around an 800-year-old vampire named Nick Knight, played by Geraint Wyn Davies, working as a police detective in modern-day Toronto. While working as a detective, Nick plans on seeking redemption for the lives he has taken over the years, and struggling to find a way to become mortal again.

## Reference

In the Season 3 episode "Night in Question", Nick goes to the Santa Claus Parade Warehouse so he can trace the scenery together in remembering the face of the man who shot him. While in the warehouse, Nick looks around, surrounded by floats and float pieces while also recalling what happened before he got shot. He remembers the shooting after picturing scenes in his mind before being halted by an officer, who is sympathetic once she realizes that he is the one who had been shot there.

This scene was filmed in 1995, when the team was making preparations for the 1995 parade. Around the warehouse, you can see floats that were used in the 1995 parade, including the Peter Pan Crocodile, Pegasus and Go Ape alongside many others. Various float pieces were scattered around the warehouse, along with mannequins wearing the toy soldier costumes.

## External Links

* The Parade Warehouse on the Forever Knight Wiki
Hockey 24: A Film By Canada

Hockey 24 is a documentary by Scotiabank about hockey in communities across Canada.

## History With The Parade

In 2019, Scotiabank sponsored a float called Hockey 24: A Film By Canada to promote the movie with the same name. The float was reused from the Scotiabank Arena float, which was used the previous year. The float featured kids playing hockey (2 of them were reused from the Toronto Maple Leafs & Scotiabank Arena floats) while Scottie the Hockey Dog records them with a camera (Which was reused from Scotiabank's 1 Million Children float, although this model was recycled from another Scotiabank float, Hockey Dogs). The float was retired after 2019, mainly for the promotion of the movie. Despite this, 2 of the kids featured on the Hockey 24 float were reused again, this time being on the MLSE float in 2020.
Candy Cane Park

The float during the 1985 CBS telecast, as part of the 1985 CBS All-American Thanksgiving Day Parade.

### Years Active

1985

Candy Cane Park is a float that appeared in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

In 1985, after the retirement of the Video Game Antics float, Speedy Muffler King agreed to sponsor a float called Candy Cane Park, which took place in a snowy park filled with candy canes, and it featured frolicking snowmen.
Pixels

Pixels is a 2015 live action/animated hybrid movie that follows the adventures of four video game nerds fighting in a war against larger-than-life arcade characters as part of an alien abduction. The cast includes Kevin James, Adam Sandler, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad.

## History With The Parade

A Pixels mini-float was made for the parade in 2015, with Columbia Pictures as the float's sponsor. All this float was was basically just Pac-Man in front of the city. In reality they could've done a lot more with the float. In fact, they should've made it an actual float. In addition, the CTV hosts didn't mention it on the telecast, which is a shame. The float was retired after the 2015 parade, mainly for the promotion of the film.

## Trivia

* This float was Pac-Man's second float in the parade's history, with the first being Video Antics.
Celebrity Clowns (float)

Details coming soon!

## History with the Parade

The Celebrity Clowns have been featured on many floats throughout the years, every since their first appearance in the 1983 parade.

In 2016, the Celebrity Clowns were featured on a completely new float created for that year's parade. The flaot depicts a circus, where three clowns are performing tricks. This float is the longest running float that is still making appearances in the parade today. The float's most recent appearance was in the 2023 parade, where the float kicked off the parade for its 8th consecutive year in celebration of the Celebrity Clowns' 40th anniversary.
Christ-Moose

Christ-Moose is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float debuted in the 1994 parade. This float featured a giant light blue motorcycle, which was driven by a huge pink moose. The motorcycle she was driving on was the world's largest motorcycle, which was a huge moment in history for the parade's float designers. The base of this float was used a few more times. The following year, the motorcycle was repainted, the moose was repurposed into a monkey, and the float was renamed Go Ape.
Yuletide Trimmings

Yuletide Trimmings is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History wth the Parade

This float's first appearance was in the 1984 parade. This float was the last float before Santa's float in the 1984 parade, and it showcased five sparkling Christmas trees, including one big rotating tree with giant ornaments. All five trees are covered in shiny green, red and gold tinfoil. The float returned in 1985 with the only major change to the float being the ornaments on the trees' rearrangement.
Blue's Clues

Blue's Clues is an American live-action/animated hybrid children's series that aired on Nick Jr. from 1996 to 2006. The show follows a format in which Blue, a blue-spotted dog, leaves distinct blue paw prints for her owner (Steve, played by Steve Burns, later Joe played by Donovan Patton, latest Josh played by Josh Dela Cruz), and viewers in order to figure out her plans for the day. Blue's Clues quickly became the highest-rated children's television series on American television and was a massive impact on the growth of Nickelodeon. After the original series ended following its eleven-year run on Nick Jr, it would go on to be quoted as "one of the most successful, critically acclaimed, and ground-breaking preschool television series of all time."

The show was critically acclaimed for its use of combined concepts from child development and early-childhood education with innovative, yet simple innovation. The show was the first of many to use cutout animation, with much of the characters and backgrounds being made to resemble construction paper and a children's storybook through is primary colours and simple shapes.

The series was given a reboot in November 2019 with a new series, titled *Blue's Clues & You!*. The reboot followed much of the same format as the original, and now featured the characters in computer animation appearing alongside the show's current host, Josh Dela Cruz.

## History with the Parade

Because of the show's popularity, a Blue's Clues float debuted in the 1998 Santa Claus Parade. The float featured many of the show's animated characters. Of course, Blue herself appeared on the float, alongside her friends; Tickety Tock, Mailbox, Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper. This float returned in 1999 because of how popular it was with the parade's youngest viewers.
Punkinhead The Bear

## Punkinhead

Punkinhead returns to the streets of Toronto for his 60th anniversary in the 2008 parade.

### Years Active

2008-2009

Punkinhead was an original character created for the Santa Claus Parade by Eaton's. He was created in 1948 in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the book "Punkinhead, the Sad Little Bear". Eaton's published several Punkinhead books during the holiday season from the 1950's to 1981 before they "cancelled" the parade. He was also featured in colouring books, records and television commercials. He was very well known by Canadian children at the peak of his popularity.

## History with the Parade

When Punkinhead made his debut in 1948, a float was made to promote the book. Not much is known because a large majority of 20th century parades are pieced of lost media. He was featured on a lot of floats, both animated and in walk-around form. Floats from the 1950's to the 1960's featured him getting around in many ways. He went fishing on the June float in 1956, drove a long showboat in 1960, and flew in a helicopter for the 50th anniversary parade in 1954. The rest of the floats during his time with the parade featured him in Eaton's Toyland, either surrounded by toys or driving the Toyland Train.

The character was retired in 1982 after Eaton's ended their time with the parade. He was brought back in 1992, but not for the parade. The reason why they brought him back was because Eaton's was waning in popularity. Although it did bring nostalgia to old spectators, it didn't work.

We wouldn't see him in the parade again until 2008, when Sear's brought him back in celebration of his 60th anniversary in the form of a self-propelled float, mainly for nostalgia purposes. The float featured Punkinhead on a giant sled, surrounded by toys. He was very popular with the grown up audience.

The adult spectators loved seeing him for the first time in a long time so much that they asked to bring him back for the 2009 parade, and that's exactly what they did, as Punkinhead zoomed through the streets of Toronto once again. Since the float's retirement in 2009, Punkinhead has never been brought back in any shape or form.
The Nightingale

The Nightingale is a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. The story was originally published in 1843. It is set in ancient China and tells the story of a Chinese emperor who tries to replace his prized nightingale with a mechanical bird that sings almost as beautifully as the real bird that he loved dearly.

## History with the Parade

A float inspired by the story was made for the 1986 parade. The float featured the Chinese temple, where the emperor is listening to the animated mechanical bird sing, but the real star of the float was a giant Chinese dragon. According to Alf Iannerelli, this float was one of the hardest floats for his team to make, as they had to nail every detail, from the building the dragon to constructing the animated mechanical bird.
Best Friends

Best Friends is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

In 1990, a new float titled Best Friends made its debut. It was featured alongside the other Winter-themed floats, since the float featured a seal and a penguin having fun. The penguin is seen sliding down the seal's back as they play together on a floating iceberg. This float was very popular, so of course, it was brought back in the 1991 parade. After the 1991 parade, the float was retired. Despite the float's retirement, a repainted version of the penguin was used on a small pull float in the 2006 parade.
Here Comes Floppy The Clown

Here Comes Floppy The Clown is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

The float was used in the 1984 parade. The float featured a giant clown named Floppy, who crawled down the parade route on all fours. He also had floppy ears, and his head turned from side to side. He was a 2-in-1 float, since he pulled a clown car.
Summer Camp

Summer Camp is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

The float made its debut i 2014 under the sponsorship of Tim Hortons. It was self-propelled, with the driver driving the float from inside the wolf's canoe. Speaking of the wolf, he is paddling along while his raccoon friend is about to jump into the lake. There was also a rabbit on a swing, a mouse relaxing in an innertube and a bear looking through the grass using a magnifying glass. this float was retired after 2010.

But not for long, as the float was brought back in 2014, and it was a lot shorter than it was in 2010. The bear and rabbit were removed, a new naturalistic tree was added, and a baby raccoon (Recycled from the Barbie as the Island Princess float) was added. You could see the driver very clearly, as he is still in the canoe in a skunk costume. Also, since Tim Hortons was already sponsoring the Celebrating 50 Years float, Volkswagen was the sponsor of this float. This was also one of the last self-propelled floats to be seen in the parade. This float was officially retired after 2014 and was most likely disposed of.
Eaton's Presents: How Do You Get To Christmasland? (1967)

Eaton's Presents: How Do You Get to Christmasland? is a 1967 TV special made by Eaton's. This special was the official TV broadcast of the 1967 Eaton's Santa Claus Parade, and it was also the theme of the parade that year, as a polka-dotted clown guided two young children on their way to find Christmasland through the parade as it passed by Eaton's College Street store.

The clown is the narrator of this special, commentating every float and costume passing by in rhyme form. The clown's voiceover was done by CBC announcer Bernard Cowan, who was a Canadian actor that lived from 1922 to 1990, best known for being the voice director for the 1964 Rankin/Bass holiday classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and he also provided many of the voices in the Spider-Man cartoon series, also from 1967.
Max The Musk Ox

Max The Musk Ox is an original character created for the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

Max was originally created for the 1980 Eaton's Santa Claus Parade. He was a giant self-propelled musk ox with big horns and a moving mouth. He made his only appearance in 1980 as part of the Santa's Winter Dreams unit, and the following year he was recycled into the Flintstones float.
Skylanders

Skylanders is a video game series developed by Toys for Bob and published by Activision. The series of games was one of the biggest video game series of the mid-2010's. The series revolves around various heroes with special abilities and machinery who have used their powers to defend their kingdom from evil forces.

The series started out with 2011's Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure, an expanded version of the Spyro the Dragon series of games, which predated Skylanders by 13 years. The series would continue to grow in 2012 with Skylanders: Giants, an expanded version of Spyro's Adventure, now with even more characters, including the Giants. There were hundreds of Skylander figures to collect, and once you buy or receive a Skylander, you can import it into the game.

By 2013, Skylanders was at the peak of its popularity, and Toys for Bob and Activision would keep releasing a new game every year. The third game in the series, Skylanders: Swap Force, was released in 2013, which introduced new characters and the ability to swap Skylanders' bodies. Three more games were released in the next three years. They were 2014's Skylanders: Trap Team, 2015's Skylanders: Superchargers, and 2016's Skylanders: Imaginators, the latter of which was the last major game to come out of the series. In addition to Spyro the Dragon, some of the most popular Skylanders that originated within the Skylanders series include Eruptor, Gill Grunt, Stealth Elf, Jet-Vac, Pop Fizz and Eye-Brawl. A few third-party characters were added into the Skylanders universe as well, which included the likes of Crash Bandicoot, Donkey Kong and Bowser from Super Mario.

## History with the Parade

The first time Skylanders was represented in the Santa Claus Parade was in 2014 to promote the realease of Skylanders: Trap Team. Activision sponsored this float along with defunct Canadian video game retailer EB Games. The first Skylanders float featured Snapshot in the front, ready to croc and roll. Behind Snapshot were fellow Skylanders Shroom Boom, Food Fight, and at the back of the float was the evil Kaos standing high on a podium.

In 2015, Activision would continue to feature their popular series in the parade with a float promoting Skylanders: Superchargers. This time, the float was self-propelled, and it featured Spitfire driving down the parade route on his signature race car, the Hot Streak.

The last float was made in 2016 to promote Skylanders: Imaginators. Much like the Superchargers float, this float was self-propelled, and it featured many of the new Skylanders introduced in Imaginators, with Kaos still standing tall on his podium at the back. Snapshot also made a comeback after missing out the previous year. Not only was this the last time Skylanders was represented in the parade, but it was also the last time self-propelled floats were ever used in the parade, with Imaginators' float being the final self-propelled float ever used in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.
Handy Manny

Manny and his tools fix the streets as they head down the route in 2009. (Photo: Mike Boon)

### Years Active

2009

Handy Manny is a preschool animated series that aired on Playhouse Disney/Disney Junior from 2006-2013. The show was about a handyman named Manny Garcia, who can fix anything with help from his talking tool friends, including Pat the hammer, Felipe & Turner the screwdrivers and Flicker the flashlight.

## History With The Parade

In 2009, Playhouse Disney would sponsor their third float in the parade. Their first was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, their second was My Friends Tigger & Pooh, and their third was Handy Manny. A walk-around version of Manny used in the Disney Parks appeared on the float, alongside a giant toolbox with Manny's tools. Despite Handy Manny being a popular show at the time, the float made its only appearance in 2009.
Fast Friends

Fast Friends is a children's book written by Heather M. O'Connor and illustrated by Claudia Dávila. The book was published in 2020 and revolves around two kids with disabilities named Tyson and Suze who form a special friendship with each other and race through life. The book highlights how special disabled people are, which is why the main message behind this book is, "Every child has a voice, if we take the time to listen."

## History with the Parade

Although the book was published in 2020, the book would get a float two years later in 2022 under the sponsorship of TD Bank because it won the TD Grade 1 Book Giveaway. This float retired after 2022, and the float's base was reused for Canadian Tire's new float the following year.
Thomas & Friends

(Photo: Christine Urias)

(Photo: Codetski101)

Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series about a blue train named Thomas who goes on adventures with his friends. The show is a spin-off of a series of books called The Railway Series by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher. In 1979, the series of books became a television show produced by Britt Allcroft.

The main character, Thomas the Tank Engine, is a blue steam locomotive with the number 1 painted on his sides. Thomas's best friends are Percy the Small Engine and Toby the Tram Engine.

## History With The Parade

Thomas made his parade debut in 2005 in celebration of the show's 20th anniversary, with Mattel Canada as his sponsor. This large-scale version of the beloved tank engine used the same base as the other self-propelled trains of the 2000's, and in 2005, Thomas as the latest addition to that trend, following in the footsteps of other self-propelled trains , including Nestle's Candyland train, RBC's Snow Train, and The Polar Express. His wheels could turn as if he was actually moving down the streets of Downtown Toronto. His eyes could move as well, looking at all the parade spectators as he passed by. In addition, real steam came out of his funnel, making him look even more realistic. The float made its only appearance in 2005, and was absent for almost 10 years.

After 10 years of sponsoring Barbie floats, Mattel agreed to sponsor a Thomas & Friends float in honour of the show's 30th anniversary, which was celebrated in 2014, along with the 70th anniversary of The Railway Series. This float is one of the largest floats in modern day parades. The float is designed to look like Thomas, Percy and Rosie the Pink Engine are coming out of Tidmouth Sheds. This would mark Thomas's first appearance in the parade since 2005. The float returned in 2016, and was retired and disposed of shortly after.

## See Also

* Thomas & Friends/Gallery
* The Toronto Santa Claus Parade on the Thomas the Tank Engine Wiki
LittleBigPlanet

(Photo: Mike Boon)

LittleBigPlanet is a video game series created by British video game developer Media Molecule. This puzzle platform series published by Sony Computer Animation put a strong emphasis on content created by its players. The series' tagline is "Play, Create, Share". So far, there have been three games in the LittleBigPlanet series. The first game came out in 2008, the second in 2011, and the third in 2014, all created for the PlayStation family of systems.
Santa Search Activity

The Santa Search is a game created by the Santa Claus Parade company.

## History With The Parade

The game was created in 2021 and featured 20 images of sculptures from all floats. These pieces include the following;

* Reindeer With Trumpet (Reindeer Party)
* Snowboarding Raccoon (Winter Forest)
* Tobogganing Timbit (Gingerbread House &Timbits)
* Present (The Gift Of Trusted News)
* Marshmallow Snowman (Holiday Treats)
* Superhero Doctor (Celebrating Our Heroes)
* Big Blue Owl
* Locomotive (The Toy Express)
* Sleigh (CTV Holiday Sleigh-In)
* Mother Goose's Head
* Santa's Face (The Parade Logo)
* Polar Bear (Countdown To Christmas 50/50 Raffle)
* Mrs. Claus
* Toothbrush (The Tooth Fairy)
* Sledge Hockey Elf (Pond Hockey At The North Pole)
* Raptors Kid (Change The Game)
* Clown (Celebrity Clowns)
* Ornament Stack (Winterfest At Canada's Wonderland)
* Penguin & Tree (Christmas Music Fun)
* Hawaiian Pizza (Pizza Party)
100th Christmas

100th Christmas is a float from the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float was made in 2022, and it features Christmas decorations that you can buy at Canadian Tire. The float was also made to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. A Santa sculpt was featured alongside a snowman, a Christmas tree and other decorations, all in front of a festive house. The float was retired after the 2022 parade, and the following year, it was recycled into the Tim's Family Skate float by Tim Hortons.
Rip Van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle during his appearance on the 1988 CBS broadcast of the parade.

Rip Van Winkle is a fictional character from American author Washington Irving's short story of the same name, first published in 1819. The story, set in Colonial America, follows a Dutch-American villager named Rip Van Winkle, who meets mysterious Dutchmen and drinks their strong, sleep-inducing liquor before falling asleep in the woods for twenty years.

## History with the Parade

One of the only known times Rip Van Winkle was represented in the parade was in 1976, where he was featured on his own float. On the float, Rip Van Winkle is sleeping while being surrounded by kids dressed as the Dutchmen.

Rip Van Winkle would be represented on another float in the 1987 parade, where he slept in the woods with a pile of fall leaves on his waist. On certain occasions, Van Winkle would wake up, but most of the time, he would sleep.

This float was so popular, and everyone wanted to see it again, so it was brought back in the 1988 parade before retiring after two appearances.
Sounds Of Summer

Sounds of Summer was a float from the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float was designed for the 1968 Eaton's Santa Claus Parade. The float depicts a nice summer day to remind spectators of the joys of summer vacation even during the dawn of winter. The front of the float is designed to look like an ocean, with a sea turtle leading the way, followed by fish and sailboats with girls riding on them. At the back of the float, there is a sand castle decorated with shells and two Canadian flags on top. Also part of the castle is a sweet display of summertime treats, including lollipops, popsicles and ice cream cones. The float was only used in the 1968 parade, but the float's concept art still survives at the parade warehouse.
Ski Lodge

The Ski Lodge is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

The float first appeared in the 1967 parade, depicting Switzerland's Alpine mountain range, which included a cable car with a family inside, and Swiss alpine houses and snowy mountaintops and hills. This float was part of a Swiss Alps section in the second half of the parade along with the Polka Band Gazebo.
Salvation Army Band

The Salvation Army is an England-based Christian Church and international charitable organization. the Salvation Army has many brass bands around the world. The Toronto Service Band appears in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

## History

The Band first appeared in the parade in 2005, and later on they became a mainstay in the parade. They still appear in the parade today as Santa & Mrs. Claus' escorts.

The band has been joined by many service bands around the world, such as the New York Service Band in 2017 and Newfoundland's New Found Brass in 2018.

In 2021, the only band that showed up was the Ontario Division Youth Band.
Malvern Collegiate Marching Band

The Malvern Collegiate Marching Band is a band that comes from Malvern Collegiate Institute in Toronto.

## History With The Parade

This band first appeared in the parade sometime in the 1960s. They appeared in the parade until the late 1980s. They returned to the parade in the mid-2000s, and they appeared until 2020. They returned in 2022, now joined by alumni.
Reindeer On The Roof

The float during the 2022 Parade.

Reindeer on the Roof, formerly known as Reindeer Party, is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

In 2019, Leon's, the official band partner of the parade, agreed to sponsor a float called Reindeer Party, which features a band of reindeer playing musical instruments on a rooftop. The reindeer on this float were reused from 98.1 CHFI's Christmas Music Fun Float.

The float returned in the reimagined 2020 and 2021 parades, except in the latter parade, the float didn't have sponsor. In the 2021 parade, the float promoted the new-for-2021 Santa Search Activity.

This float was used in the 2022 Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade, and it was sponsored by the Santa Claus Parade itself. Lots of people were happy to see a float from Toronto's biggest parade being featured in one of the city's smaller parades. This was also the first float to be seen in-person again. This float currently makes annual appearances in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, so if you're a Santa Claus Parade fan that can't wait until November to see this float again, keep an eye out for it on St. Patrick's Day!

In 2022, the float made its proper return to the streets in the main parade to promote the Countdown To Christmas 50/50 Raffle, but no reason is given why as it had no connections to the raffle itself.

This float made its most recent appearance in the 2023 Santa Claus Parade, where the Toronto Zoo sponsored the float, and it was appropriate, as the Zoo has reindeer of their own. The float was also renamed Reindeer on the Roof.
Dogsled Delivery

Dogsled Delivery is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float made its parade debut in 2008 with Winners as its sponsor. The float depicted a woman driving a dogsled filled with presents. The sled was pulled by a pair of Alaskan husky dogs, who are not afraide to take on the snow. This float was retired after 2008, making only one appearance. 2008 was also the only time Winners sponsored a float in the Santa Claus Parade's history.
One-Monkey Band

One-Monkey Band was a float that appeared in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float debuted in 2002. It was sponsored by 98.1 CHFI as CHFI's newest float at the time, replacing the Underwater Musicians. This float featured a giant monkey playing various different instruments. This float was inspired by one-man bands, an entertainment routine featuring one person playing many different instruments that can be activated using their hands and feet. Since this float is from the 2000's there isn't any info about the float, as many 2000's parades are pieces of lost media. But we do know that this float returned in 2003 and was retired after that.
Go Ape

(Photo: Sergi K L)

Go Ape is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

In 1995, thanks to the success of Christ-Moose riding down the parade route on the world's largest motorcycle, the designers reused the base of the float, but this time, a different driver was behind the wheel. This time, a giant monkey in a polka-dotted suit drove down the parade route on the motorcycle, which was repainted, going from a basic blue to a vibrant red and yellow. There was also a small plush monkey hanging from the driver monkey's tail.
Busy Beavers

Busy Beavers is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float debuted in 2001 under the sponsorship of the Canadian Tire Corporation. The float featured three hard-working beavers working hard on their new-and-improved dam. One beaver is keeping the logs together with a hammer, another is testing out the technology, and the one at the back is chopping down a tree with a big axe. The float is self-propelled, with the driver hiding inside the dam. This float returned in the very snowy 2002 parade and it was retired after that.
Top Hat Marching Orchestra

The Top Hat Marching Orchestra, also known as the Top Hats, is a band based in Burlington, Ontario. The group was founded in 1982, made up of former members of the Burlington Teen Tour Band that wanted to relive their teenage years. For a long time, the band was led by professional tap dancer Neil Sinclair.

This band was featured on an episode of The Journal, showing everyone that they are "A different kind of band". Before a parade begins, they always try to find each other, as well as their place in line, and of course, they have to fix their valves before they get moving. How do they solve this problem? Easy. Pouring alcohol into them. The band only has one rule: Take the music seriously and nothing else. They always make sure the crowd is involved, so they play for them and even have them play their instruments! They even play for whoever wants them to play for them. They never miss a photo op whenever they see a camera. They even take breaks from marching and cool themselves off in bars drinking beer, proving that they aren't your average band.

## History With The Parade

The Top Hats first appeared in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade in 1982, and the crowd loved them so much, which is the reason why they kept coming back. In the 2000s, they appeared in the Celebrity Clowns pre-parade. They kept making appearances until 2014.
Butler High School Golden Tornado Marching Band

The Butler High School Golden Tornado Band is the official marching band of the school under the same name in Butler, Pennsylvania.

## History with The Parade

The band's first appearance was in 2000, and they took Toronto by storm, getting lots of applause from the crowd. They returned in 2005 as one of three American high school bands that year, along with parade veterans Attica Senior High School and Johnson City High School. They loved the parade so much that they would make two more appearances in 2013 and 2017 respectively.
Wally The Walrus & His Penguin Friends

*"Well, my teeth are tight, but my Tuscaloosa!"* - *Celia Weston*

Wally the Walrus & His Penguin Friends was a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

In 1983, the designers wanted to get creative with their new floats, and they certainly did with the creation of Wally the Walrus, a giant white walrus that turned his head and winked his eyes. Wally's head came right out of the icy water, and he was joined by other walruses and kids dressed as arctic and antarctic creatures. The float really caught the kids' attention, so it was brought back in the 1984 parade to the delight of everyone, where Wally and his flippered friends gave everyone a good laugh once more, despite the pouring rain that couldn't stop the parade from marching on.
The 72nd Annual Eaton's Santa Claus Parade (1977)

The 72nd annual Eaton's Santa Claus Parade was held in November of 1977. The 1977 parade's theme was Santa's Friends, and the floats showcased many of Santa's friends from nursery rhymes, fairy tales, stories, and his North Pole companions.

## Floats

1. Eaton's Toyland
2. Mother Goose
3. Jolly Rhyme Friends
4. Three Men In A Tub
5. Sesame Street
6. The Gingerbread Man
7. The Wizard Of Oz
8. Alice In Wonderland
9. Cat
10. Rip Van Winkle
11. Peter Pan
12. The Jungle Book
13. Asterix
14. Robin Hood
15. Seal
16. Dutch Skating Pond
17. Toy Soldier Drum Tree
18. Christmas Chimes
19. Santa's Workshop
20. Santa's Sleigh
Dairy Farmers Of Ontario

Dairy Farmers Of Ontario is a Canadian-based dairy company, with the company's headquarters being in Mississauga, Ontario.

## History With The Parade

In 2019, the company agreed to sponsor a float called Milk & Cookies, which features elves preparing glasses of milk and Oreo cookies on Christmas Eve.

The float went through a major upgrade in 2020, now being named after the company's new hashtag, #FillUpWithLove. The float was retired after the 2020 parade.
Corner Gas

Corner Gas is a Canadian sitcom series that aired on CTV. The series is the #1 comedy show in Canada, and it starred Brent Butt, Gabrielle Miller, Fred Ewanuick and Eric Peterson. The original series aired from 2004-2009, and it was followed by the animated reboot Corner Gas Animated.

## History With The Parade

CTV's first float in the parade's history was the Corner Gas: The Movie float to promote the film with the same name (And yes, this was CTV's first float, not the Holiday Sleigh-In). The float was a replica of the iconic setup, with the sign being placed on a candy cane, alongside a sleigh and lots of snow. Brent and the whole gang rode on the float too.
Video Antics

The float during the 1984 CBC telecast (Footage captured by Retrontario)

Video Antics is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History With the Parade

In 1984, a float called Video Antics was added to the parade. It featured a slide that kids can go on, and it lead into Pac-Man's mouth. There were also kids in Space age cars and many other arcade machines. Although the hosts of the CBC telecast predicted that the float would return the following year, but they were wrong because the float was retired after its only appearance in 1984.

## Trivia

* This would mark Pac-Man's parade debut, as he would later appear on the Pixels float, which made its only appearance in the 2015 parade.
* This float was the only float from the Santa's Happy Adventures section of the parade that was pulled by a tractor. The rest of the floats in that section were self-propelled.
The Magic Of Christmas

The Magic of Christmas is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This dazzling float debuted in the 2001 Santa Claus Parade, where it was the third-to-last float in the lineup, and it was appropriate for that spot, as it featured many Christmas decorations and traditions, including a rotating four-branch tree on a present that bears a resemblance to the rotating tree from 1984's Yuletide Trimmings float. Other ornaments are featured on the float as well, along with bells, candles, and a bell choir ringing in the holiday season. This float returned in 2002 and was retired after that. Despite the float's retirement from the lineup, some of the large ornaments used on this float are still used on other floats in the parade to this day.
The Parade Warehouse

The Warehouse, also known as Santa's Secret Workshop, is a building that serves as the storage facility of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, located in the district of North York. This is also where everything is planned out and constructed before the big day. All of the floats, along with pieces from old floats, and the costumes and heads are all stored in this large building.

At the beginning of November, Media Day is held at the warehouse, where kids can get a preview of every float and learn about the route and other details about parade day. In addition, the warehouse also offers private tours.

## List of Elements Stored at the Warehouse (As of August 2nd and November 2nd, 2023)

### Floats

* Celebrity Clowns (2016-Present)
* The Dalton School (2018-Present)
* The Toy Express (2018-2021)
* Mother Goose (2019-2022)
* Reindeer Party (2019-Present)
* Winterfest At Canada's Wonderland (2019, 2021-Present)
* All Christmas Music (2019-Present)
* Celebrating Our Heroes (2020-Present)
* The Power Of Sports (2020-Present)
* Holiday Treats (2020-Present)
* The Creation Story (2021-Present)
* Pizza Party (2021-Present)
* Winter At The Cabin (2022-Present)
* Leo Tobogganing (2022)
* Holiday Woohoo Factory (2022-Present)
* Mother Goose (2023-Present)
* Tim's Family Skate (2023-Present)
* The Gift of Trusted News (2023-Present)
* North Pole Command Centre (2023-Present)
* Santa's Sleigh (2023-Present)

### Float pieces

Below are miscellaneous items that are kept in the warehouse for reuse in future floats and assorted elements. The parade never wants to waste anything, so most of their float pieces are stored in trailers. Below is a list of float pieces that are on display in the warehouse.

* Animal (Head only) (The Muppets)
* Bird Guard (Robin Hood)
* Bumblebee (Bumblebee)
* Carlton the Bear (Toronto Maple Leafs)
* Chase and Rubble (PAW Patrol)
* Dice Block (Mario Party Superstars)
* Elephant (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle)
* Fairies (TD Music)
* Hockey Elves (Pond Hockey at the North Pole)
* Johnny Bauer (Toronto Maple Leafs)
* Kermit the Frog (The Muppets)
* LOL Doll Podium (Nordic Bright Toys)
* Mario (Super Mario & Friends)
* Maximus (Tangled)
* Reindeer (Pond Hockey at the North Pole)
* Skyler from Rainbow High (Imagination Starts Here)
* Sylvester the Cat (The Looney Tunes Show)
* The Raptor (Toronto Raptors/Dunk for Diabetes)
* The Raptor (Toronto Raptors)
* Toy Soldiers (March of the Wooden Soldiers/various other floats)
* Unicorn (BMO Bear)

## Trivia

* The Warehouse was one of the filming locations in an episode of the CBS series Forever Knight.

## Gallery

A view of the warehouse's interior in 2022, with floats being prepared for the big day.
North Pole Command Centre

The North Pole Command Centre is a float in the Santa Claus Parade. It is the second-to-last float in the parade, and it is also the float that Mrs. Claus currently rides on.

## History with the Parade

This float first appeared in the 2023 parade. On the float, Mrs. Claus is preparing for the big night, operating Santa's Workshop. Mrs. Claus is at the front of the float, controlling the workshop. Mrs. Claus' desk features many buttons, along with Santa's nice list, and an elf pressure meter so she knows when to bring out the hot chocolate. Behind her is Santa' sworkshop, which features a factory with lots of gears, propellers and contraptions. Gift boxes are coming out of the toy-making machine. The gift boxes then enter a tunnel, and on top of that tunnel is a clock that counts down the days until the big night.
The Creation Story

The Indigenous Creation Story (Not to be confused with the Christian Creation Story) is one of the many Indigenous stories and beliefs within Indigenous communities around the world. It tells the story of how the earth was created.

## History With The Parade

The Creation Story float was added in the 2021 parade. The float was designed by Phillip Cote III, an Anishinaabe artist, and it tells the story according to the Anishinaabe community. The float depicts a wetland environment with many wetland creatures, including a grebe, a muskrat and a beaver, but the star is a giant snapping turtle, which is depicted as Turtle Island with two humans riding on his back. Every character on this float is represented as a cutout except the snapping turtle, which is the only 3D sculpt on the float.

For the float's second appearance in 2022, a seat was added to the front of the float for a drummer to sit on. The drummer banged his drum as dancers that followed the float performed their traditional rituals. This float also became the first float to incorporate QR codes. This float currently remains in the lineup and it doesn't look like the float will be leaving the parade anytime soon.
Toronto Santa Claus Parade Wiki

**Welcome to the Toronto Santa Claus Parade Wiki!**
Welcome to the Toronto Santa Claus Parade Wiki, the unofficial wiki for the world's second oldest Santa Claus Parade! This parade known as the largest children's parade south of the North Pole, is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1905, and this year marks the parade's 119th year of marching through the streets of Toronto.

**Did You Know?**

* The Toronto Santa Claus Parade is the second oldest holiday parade in the world. The oldest holiday parade is the Peoria Santa Claus Parade in Peoria, Illinois, which dates back to 1887.
* Self-propelled floats played a big role in the parade throughout the 20th century. These floats used to be old Eaton's delivery trucks, but due to maintenance costs and the age of the vehicles, self-propelled floats became discontinued in the late 2000's.
* In 2012, British heartthrobs One Direction became the first music artists to get their own float in the parade.
* Eloise the Elephant, a giant pink elephant that appeared in the 1986 parade, had an inflatable hat. She is one of the only known floats to feature an inflatable element.
* Only a handful of American marching bands have appeared in the parade. One of them is the Baldwin High School Band of the Braves, who booked a 10 hour flight to Toronto from their hometown in Georgia.
* The 1967 parade commentary was narrated by CBC announcer Bernard Cowan, who played a clown.
* The North Toronto Collegiate Marching Band is the longest running band in the parade's history, making annual appearances since the late 1940's.

**Featured Article**

In 2013, LEGO partnered with the parade to create a float titled **Playful Snow Fight**. The float depicted a winter scene with giant Minifigures enjoying fun in a snowy LEGO setting, complete with LEGO snow. The Minifigures on this float were having a snowball fight, throwing snowballs all over the place, includign in the crowd's direction. There's even a Minifigure tobogganing and two Minifigures building a LEGO Snowman. This float was very popular, so it ws brought back in 2014. **Read On...**

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Boatload Of Presents

The Boatload of Presents was a float from the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float made its debut in the 1985 Santa Claus Parade. The float was as you'd expect, a bright pink pirate ship driven by a crew of elves, and of course, the boat was filled with presents for everyone. This boatload of joy was recycled from the Ship Ahoy! float, which appeared in the 1984 parade, and it was appropriately the last float before Santa's.
Cheese Boutique

Cheese Boutique is a gourmet grocery store located in the Swansea neighbourhood in Toronto. The store has been providing Toronto with succulent selections of cheese, meat, catering, dessert and fresh food since 1970, and transforming something good into something great is something that Cheese Boutique believes in.

## History with the Parade

While Cheese Boutique was never in the main parade, the opening segment from the 2022 broadcast was filmed inside the store.
Timbits

* 2017
* 2018

**Timbits** are a food sold exclusively at Tim Hortons. There are many flavourings for Timbits, such as Chocolate Glazed, Sour Cream Glazed and Birthday Cake.

## History With The Parade

In 2017, Tim Hortons partnered with the parade team to make a float called Timbits Sports, which features a Honey Dip Timbit playing hockey, an Old Fashion Glazed Timbit playing baseball, a Chocolate Glazed Timbit playing hockey and a Birthday Cake Timbit playing basketball with two cups of coffee.

In 2018, the float returned, but with some changes. The coffee cups were replaced by hot chocolate cups, and the float was decorated with donuts and other Tim Hortons foods. In addition, the float promoted the Timmies Minis Kids Packs.

In 2019, Tim Hortons sponsored a brand-new float for the parade, recycled from the Canada Protection Plan float, which appeared the previous year. This time, the float featured the Timbits doing winter activities, like tobogganing and skiing off a candy house and playing hockey. The float returned to the parade in the reimagined 2020 and 2021 parades. the float remained the same without any changes being made to the float. The float was retired after that.

## See Also

* Tim's Family Skate
* Believe In Kindness
* Timbits/Gallery
Ratchet & Clank

Ratchet & Clank is a video game series developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The video game franchise consists of a series of platform and third-person shooter games revolving around an lombax mechanic named Ratchet and his robot friend Clank as they protect the universe from evil forces.

## History with the Parade

After the LittleBigPlanet float retired following the 2010 parade, Sony partnered with the parade to design a float for the 2011 parade to promote the PlayStation 3 video game, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. The float featured a walk-around version of Ratchet, surrounded by sculpts of Clank, the evil Dr. Nefarious, and a giant Qwark punching his way out of a screen at the back of the float. This float was a big hit with the gamers watching the parade watching from Planet Earth and all over the universe. This float was retired after 2011 and the following year Sony would sponsor a new LittleBigPlanet float.
Holiday Woohoo Factory

The Holiday Woohoo Factory is an installation of the Santa's Workshop family of floats in the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This dreamy toy factory made its parade debut in 2022, and it was the newest addition to the Santa's Workshop float family at the time of its completion. The float features a toy factor with an animated ferris wheel, elves, candy canes, and everything that made the float seem like it came out of a colouring book. This float made its only appearance in 2022.