For the second straight year, the wagon rides, marshmallow roasts, and rosy cheeks of thousands of revellers will be absent in the city's core on what is typically a jam-packed night for downtown on the final Friday in November.
The Old Fashioned Downtown Christmas Walk, a long-time tradition, and for many, the official launch of the holiday season in North Bay, has been cancelled again.
"At this time, we will be holding off on hosting the walk until 2022," says Downtown North Bay, the event's organizer. "We want to be responsible and not promote large gatherings of people."
Until last year's cancellation due to gathering limits and public health directives associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, for over 30 years, the Christmas Walk traditionally kicks off with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in the public space at Main Street West and Fraser Street. In pre-pandemic years, large crowds gathered to count down the flipping of the switch to illuminate the tree.
See: Downtown Christmas Walk Photo Gallery
To keep the tradition going last year, organizers offered a "virtual" tree lighting ceremony and something similar is in the works for this year. Downtown North Bay promises "more details to come," as they are "planning on a tree lighting ceremony on November 18th followed by a six-week promotion."
The event typically draws a crowd of about 10,000 people. Over a three-hour period in 2019, some 15,000 people visited downtown for the Christmas Walk.
Organizers have been forced to make difficult decisions regarding community events for families during the pandemic. The popular Halloween at the fire station for kids has now been cancelled two years running due to gathering limits and in the interest of public safety.
The Santa Claus Parade switched to a smaller drive-through event in 2020. According to the City of North Bay's website, this year's parade is still a go for Sunday, November 21, "subject to public health guidelines by the Ontario Government and the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. It will only occur if guidelines, which may be subject to change, permit."
