Santa will be sitting atop a new float in the KW Santa Claus Parade with the hands-on help of staff and students in Conestoga’s School of Trades & Apprenticeship.
A team of Conestoga staff and students became Santa's helpers by designing and building a new float for the KW Santa Claus Parade, including shop technologist Chris Sine.
The college team volunteered their time to craft a new float for Saint Nick, replacing the old one he has been riding since 1979. Santa’s new float will debut on Saturday, November 16 in the annual parade hosted by the Lions Club of Kitchener. Santa's sleigh is the only original piece that remains.
Mary D’Alton, chief fundraising officer for the KW Lions Club, said it was time for the old float to retire. “Santa came to us last year and said: ‘I don’t think I can make this float one more time.’ ”
The club reached out to the college for help to build a new one.
“We were a little out of our comfort zone,” said Jeff Willsie, a chair from the School of Trades & Apprenticeship. “Float building is not something that's necessarily in our wheelhouse, but we've been learning as we go.”
Shop technologist Chris Sine oversaw the project and its design.
“I came up with the idea of the reindeer flying over top of houses ... And then I just was like: ‘I can build five houses.’ ”
The Lions Club said the Bank of Montreal paid for all the construction materials and each reindeer was sponsored by a different local business.
The parade route will run along Weber Street from Frederick Street in Kitchener to Erb Street in Waterloo. The Santa Run begins at 9:45 a.m. and will run the route before the parade. People can bring their letters to Santa to be picked up along the way as well as donations for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and toys for firefighters collecting for the Knights of Columbus toy drive.
Conestoga’s School of Trades & Apprenticeship offers a comprehensive array of programs in the Construction, Motive Power, Industrial and Service sectors in response to the needs of industry, and the growth in the local economy. Conestoga has established partnerships over the years with many successful local, national and international companies, resulting in program enhancements and significant career opportunities for students.