Ottawa 
Christmas and holiday season celebrations in Ottawa kick off on Saturday when the big guy in the red suit comes to town, accompanied by colourful floats.
Help Santa Toy Parade
There are two Santa Claus Parades this weekend: Help Santa Toy Parade and the Kanata Santa Claus Parade on Saturday, November 22.
Contents:
- Help Santa Toy Parade
- Kanata Santa Claus Parade
Help Santa Toy Parade 2025
Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association’s Help Santa Toy Parade will kick off at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 22nd. It will take a new route starting on Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Somerset St W (near the Cartier Drill Hall), proceeding south on Queen Elizabeth Driveway and ending at Lansdowne Park.
Credit: Help Santa Toy Parade
In addition to bringing joy and wonder to all those who are young at heart, volunteers will collect cash donations and/or new, unwrapped toys along the parade route and online via the website. A cashless “Tap” donation option (via debit machine) will also be available along the parade route.
You can also donate toys at fire stations.
To manage traffic during the parade, the parade route will see rolling closures between 7:00 am – 2:30 pm.
If you are using Ottawa Transit, 5, 14, 18, 56, and 85 will detour around the closures.
You will need to plan your travel accordingly:
- 5 Elmvale: From Elgin, right onto Albert, left onto O’Connor, continue under Highway 417, left onto Isabella, to Highway 417 eastbound, Exit Nicholas, keep right onto to Lees, right onto Lees, left onto Main, continue to regular route.
- 5 Waller: From Main, right onto Lees, left onto Greenfield, left onto ramp to Highway 417 westbound, Exit Metcalfe, keep right onto onto Metcalfe, right onto Argyle, left onto Metcalfe, left onto McLeod, right onto Metcalfe, right onto Slater, left onto Elgin, continue to regular route.
- 14 St Laurent: From Gladstone, left onto Metcalfe, right onto Slater, left onto Elgin, continue to regular route.
- 14 Tunney’s Pasture: From Elgin, right onto Albert, left onto O’Connor, right onto Gladstone, continue to regular route.
- 18 St Laurent: From Main, right onto Lees, left onto Greenfield, left onto ramp to Highway 417 westbound, Exit Metcalfe, keep right onto onto Metcalfe, right onto Argyle, left onto Metcalfe, left onto McLeod, right onto Metcalfe, right onto Slater, left onto Elgin, continue to regular route.
- 18 Billings Bridge: From Elgin, right onto Albert, left onto O’Connor, continue under Highway 417, left onto Isabella, to Highway 417 eastbound, Exit Nicholas, keep right onto to Lees, right onto Lees, left onto Main, continue to regular route.
- 56 King Edward: From Metcalfe, right onto Isabella to Highway 417 eastbound on-ramp, exit Lees, keep right to Lees, left onto Lees, continue to regular route.
- 56 Tunney’s Pasture: From Main/Hawthorne, continue Main, right onto Greenfield, right onto Highway 417 westbound on-ramp, exit Catherine, keep left onto Catherine, left onto Bank, left onto Glebe, right onto O’Connor, continue to regular route.
- 85 Lees From: Isabella, keep left to Highway 417 eastbound on-ramp, exit Lees, keep right to Lees, left onto Lees, continue to regular route.
- 85 Bayshore: From Main/Hawthorne, continue Main, right onto Greenfield, right onto Highway 417 westbound on-ramp, exit Catherine, keep left onto Catherine, continue to regular route.
Paid parking is available near the route, including Lansdowne Park.
Kanata Santa Claus Parade 2025
Kanata Santa Claus Parade will see colourful floats travel from Holy Redeemer Church, down Rothesay, across Glamorgan to Castlefrank, up Castlefrank to Abbeyhill, up Abbeyhill to end at Hazeldean Mall at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 22.
Abbeyhill between Castlefrank and Eagleson, Castlefrank between Glamorgan and Abbeyhill, Glamorgan between Rothesay and Castlefrank, Rothesay between Eagleson and Glamorgan will be closed from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Ottawa transit routes 68, 110, 161, 163, 168 will be detoured between 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, affecting stops along the parade route:
- 68 Baseline: From Hazeldean, remain on Hazeldean, bypass Hazeldean Mall, continue to regular route.
- 68 Terry Fox: From Hazeldean, remain on Hazeldean, bypass Hazeldean Mall, continue to regular route.
- 110 Limebank: From Eagleson, remain on Eagleson, bypass Hazeldean Mall, continue to regular route.
- 110 Innovation / Briarbrook: From Eagleson, remain on Eagleson, bypass Hazeldean Mall, continue to regular route.
- 161 Hazeldean: From Irwin Gate, left on Hazeldean, right on Eagleson, terminate trip on Eagleson near the Hazeldean Mall.
- 161 Terry Fox: Start route from Irwin Gate/Hazeldean left on Pickford, continue to regular route.
- 163 Kittiwake: From Castlefrank, right on Hazeldean, left on Terry Fox, right on Abbott East., continue to regular route.
- 163 Terry Fox: From Abbott East, left on Terry Fox, right on Hazeldean, left on Castlefrank, continue to regular route.
- 168 Hope Side: From Eagleson, remain on Eagleson, bypass Hazeldean Mall, continue to regular route.
- 168 Terry Fox: From Eagleson, remain on Eagleson, bypass Hazeldean Mal, continue to regular route.
If you are attending the parade, remember to bring food bank donations and donations for the Kanata Food Cupboard. Remember to dress for the weather. The forecast calls for a sunny day with temperatures around -1 deg C.
These are not the only parades in the region. Upcoming parades include:
- Manotick Kiwanis Santa Claus Parade — Friday, November 28, 7 pm
- Riverside South Community Association Toy Mountain Parade — Saturday, November 29, 11 am
- Orléans Santa’s Parade of Lights — Saturday, November 29, 6 pm
- Osgoode Village Parade of Lights — Friday, December 5, 6:30 pm
- Richmond Christmas Parade — Saturday, December 6, 5:30 pm
- Stittsville Parade of Lights — Saturday, December 6, 6 pm
- Constance and Buckham’s Bay Santa Parade — Saturday, December 13, 5 pm
- Huntley Community Association Santa Claus Parade — Saturday, December 13, 6 pm
- Metcalfe Santa Parade Food and Toy Drive — Sunday, December 14, 2 pm
