Belleville Chamber of Commerce CEO Jill Raycroft. (Photo/Quinte News)
If city council approves, there will be a new route for the Santa Claus Parade on Sunday, November 18.
The Belleville Chamber of Commerce organizes the parade and says safety concerns from police and ambulance services and the difficulty for tractor trailers to make tight turns downtown led to the route change.
Chamber CEO Jill Raycroft told the Belleville Downtown Improvement Area board Thursday that the parade will start at the fairgrounds and head straight down Bridge Street, ending at the Bayview Mall in the east end.
An important fact leading to the proposed change is that the former Quinte Secondary School property, now up for sale, is no longer available as a mustering point.
While disappointed that Santa Claus wouldn’t be going down Front Street as usual, the BIA board supported the new route, which Raycroft stressed was likely a temporary change.
The Chamber will soon be contacting residents along Bridge Street informing them of the change in the Santa Claus Parade route.
Belleville council will decide on the issue at its meeting October 9.
