Hordes of well-bundled children braved the cold and crowded the sidewalks of Shawville’s Main Street on Saturday just after sunset to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus himself as he made his way through town in the annual Santa Claus parade.
This year’s parade, a collaboration between the municipalities of Shawville and Clarendon with help from the Shawville Lions Club, featured 18 floats from businesses and local community groups. Custom Tree Service’s entry of one of its trucks carrying the Grinch (Hugo Gauthier) won the prize for best overall entry.
Entries were judged by Shawville’s new councillors, Lyse Lacourse, Lisa Taylor and Inger Elliott.
Santa Claus closed out the parade on the Shawville Lions Club float, and welcomed visits from children at the Shawville Community Lodge afterwards.
Shawville was only the first in a long list of stops Santa plans to make across the Pontiac this holiday season. This Saturday, Dec. 6, he will be in Danford Lake, Campbell’s Bay, Fort-Coulonge, Quyon and Bryson. On Dec. 7 he will be in Chapeau, and on Dec. 13 he’ll join a final parade in Rapides-des-Joachims.
