This article was published in November 2022 and may be outdated.
Manitoba Hydro employee volunteers donned their holiday spirit and made the return of the 2022 Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade a celebrated success this past Saturday.
“It’s always a great event and it attracts so many to Downtown Winnipeg to celebrate the festive season together outdoors,” said Jackie Britton, a community investment specialist at Manitoba Hydro. “For the parade this year, we partnered with the Christmas Cheer Board and welcomed donations of unwrapped toys and non-perishable goods. We are thankful and grateful to everyone who so generously donated to the Christmas Cheer Board.”
The generosity and goodwill of those attending was more than matched by employee volunteers from many different parts of Manitoba Hydro. Whether it was dressing as a gingerbread figure, candy cane, or holiday tree, or any of the other many costumed characters, the joy of the season was clear in every step taken, or the slick dance moves exhibited by Manitoba Hydro volunteer Kristi Arbuckle when pulling a float with a tractor.
A holiday tree (Kristi Arbuckle) pulled a candy carousel in the Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade.
(Google the CTV Winnipeg video of the 2022 Manitoba Hydro Santa Parade to see a tractor-driving Christmas tree pulling the Manitoba Hydro Candy Carousal float.)
Manitoba Hydro volunteer, Christine Arnould, also did double duty dressing as an elf to collect Cheer Board donations on the big day and coordinating Manitoba Hydro’s employee float entry.
Manitoba Hydro partnered with the Christmas Cheer Board to collect unwrapped toys and non-perishable goods.
“I am delighted with how it turned out,” said Christine. “Huge thanks to helpers Darren Eska and T.Jay Massner, and Manitoba Hydro volunteers Kevin Desorcy, Lisa Gravelines, Meg Kendall, and all our colleagues, friends and family who raised their hand to make the festive season so bright and merry for so many.”
Children young and old were interested in meeting Hydro workers.
In addition to the candy cane, holiday tree, bedazzled employee float, Manitoba Hydro’s showstopping Cinderella float made a spectacular return to parade. It featured Manitoba Hydro employee volunteer Charlene Macfadden, her husband Luke, their son Kane, and daughter Kara (as Cinderella).
The Cinderella float made a spectacular return.
Enlarge image: Large white carriage pulled by two grey horses.
Thanks, are also extended to Manitoba Hydro volunteers, Tim Philippi, and Dave Kornachuk, who did a lot of heavy lifting needed to get the Cinderella float ready for its all-star appearance.
“It takes a community to put an event such as this together and kids of all ages look forward to it every year— we were all glad to be back,” said Gary Shingleton, community investment supervisor at Manitoba Hydro. “Hydro volunteers helped with Santa’s Workshop, which hosted more than 100 children from various inner city community organizations and others were walking in the parade or picking up Cheer Board donations and so many other activities it can’t all be counted. It couldn’t have been done without them.
To all the volunteers of the 2022 Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade — Thank You!”