Last week, Peterborough City staff presented a report to Council that recommends cancelling the annual Canada Day parade held on July 1.
The April 22 recommendation was made due to a general lack of interest, a reduced number of float submissions over the last three parades, and that the “Canada Day parade is no longer a sustainable activity as part of the annual celebrations” for financial reasons.
Coun. Matt Crowley put forth an amendment to the report, which would defer the decision to retire the parade until after the 2024 celebrations. He believes that the information provided is not sufficient to prove a lack of interest and that reduced participation could have been caused by COVID-19 and extreme weather conditions.
Crowley’s amendment was unanimously supported by Peterborough City council and this year’s parade will continue. Its long-term sustainability will be revisited by council later this year.
