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UrbanToronto has partnered with Heritage Toronto to capture a moment in Toronto's past. On a weekly basis, we will both be highlighting a historic photo of the city's people, places and events, and will be telling the stories behind them. Many thanks to both Gary Switzer of MOD Developements and Maya Bilbao for putting together the photos and research.
This week's photo:
The Eaton's Santa Claus parade was an institution in Toronto. It was the brainchild of legendary Canadian retailer Timothy Eaton who founded the largest department store in Canada. By the time of his passing in 1907, Eaton's department store took up several acres at the intersection of Queen and Yonge. It extended into surrounding streets that were lined with numerous manufacturing and service buildings including Eaton’s Annex and the Mail Order building. James Street, just west of Yonge became an important street for Eaton’s, busy with the daily traffic of employees and shoppers. In this 1926 photo hundreds of people brave the cold November weather on James Street to watch the Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade. From the beginning, Timothy Eaton targeted shoppers with advertising tactics to keep them interested in shopping at Eaton's.
Among the most powerful promotional tools that Timothy Eaton initiated was the Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade. It first debuted in Toronto on December 2nd 1905, making it one of the first parades of its kind in North America, and certainly the first Santa Claus parade sponsored by Eaton’s in Canada. The parade was a success with children who waited for months to see the colourful costumes, floats, marching bands, and most importantly, Santa Claus.
Eaton's prided itself on making its own costumes and floats for the parade that took an entire year to manufacture. Children by the thousands applied to march in the parade. The lucky ones got to wear spectacular costumes that day, and were given a small fee as well as cocoa and cookies. For the kids watching the parade on the street, favourite characters included Cinderella, Mother Goose, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood. The favourite Christmas song played during the parade was, not surprisingly Jingle Bells. Beginning in the 1950's, the parade took on a theme including “Rhymes and Fairy tales from distant lands” in 1954, “The Royal Road to Toyland” in 1958, “Santa's Jubilee Parade” in 1964.
The parade was such a success, that, beginning in the 1950s it was televised to millions across Canada. American network giant CBS also broadcast the parade in the United States. Eaton's also put together a short 16mm film of the parade that was shown in theatres across Canada and the world. Due to financial problems, the Eaton’s Santa Claus parade was discontinued by Eaton's in 1982, but immediately saved thanks to 20 firms who offered to sponsor the parade. Since 1905, it has been one of the most important events in Toronto that celebrate the festivity of Christmas. Today, it remains one of the largest parades of its kind in the world, known simply as the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.
Sources
The store that Timothy Built, passim.
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/on-line-exhibits/eatons/eatons-parade.aspx
