More Than 300,000 People Attend Vancouver Santa Claus Parade

Red and green stoplights blinked on the closed streets of the downtown parade route, providing a festive atmosphere for the crowd of more than 300,000 people.

 
Parade producer Norman Stowe said the brisk but sunny weather and an afternoon rather than a morning start time were factors in pushing attendance to record levels this year. He said last year's attendance was about 200,000, but the weather was poor.

 
The parade, which took about 90 minutes to pass any given point, had been scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Broughton and Georgia.

 
An emergency requiring an ambulance delayed its launch by 10 minutes. It was almost 2 p.m. by the time it reached the most densely packed corner of Georgia and Howe. Children bundled in mitts and toques lit up when they heard the bagpipes begin to pump out Frosty the Snowman.

Four-year-old Armen Bagolasarov was giddy with laughter as he sat atop his father's shoulders and braved record-breaking crowds, a delayed start-time and chilly weather Sunday to catch a glimpse of Santa in Vancouver's fourth annual Rogers Santa Claus Parade.

Although his parents wanted to leave early because it was difficult to see the action through the wall of people, Armen, who is celebrating his first Christmas in Canada after moving from Russia last year, begged his parents to stay for the finale of his first Santa Claus parade, said his mother, Valerie Zhmak.

"He is so excited because in Russia we have snow and cold but no parade. Here it is so beautiful with the sun and the Olympic clock ticking down across the way."