Childhood recollections of an Easter Parade

Marchin' in the Parade, circa 1992

By: VERONICA BLAKE

“Do you want me to grab your baton out of the crawl space?”

It’s my dirty little secret. I twirled in the Easter Parade. And don’t be fooled by my dimpled-grin. Because I hated it.

What seven-year-old wants to walk for an hour, throwing a stick up into the air, dodging streetcar tracks and horse-droppings? But worst of all? We weren’t allowed to pee!

My parents hated the parade even more than I did. Easter morning, we’d wake up early, and hunt for our Easter eggs. Next it was off to church, followed by the parade and then dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It hardly felt like a holiday.

“Any Joe-Shmoe with a wagon can join this 2-bit parade!” my Dad would lament.

“All you need is a ribbon in your har!” my Mom would chime in.

Apparantly, my parents were parade-snobs.

It was weird to be back. My press-pass still got me the behind-the-scenes access, but it was my first experience as a spectator.

There may have been a few Joe-Shmoes with wagons, but The Easter Parade showcased the quirks of the community. The weather was glorious and the crowd was all-smiles when the adorable New Beaver Shrine Club came grooving down the route. They even got the kiddies dancing!

There were cheerleaders. There were bands and bagpipes. There were even roller-skaters. But there were no baton twirlers.

I wish I had taken my dad up on his offer. I should’ve dug my baton out of the crawl space and joined the parade.

Veronica and her mother, circa 1992

Couldn’t make it? Watch it here!

Brass and Pipe Bands!

Interesting Sights featuring the Harlem Globetrotters!

The Beaches Easter Parade: a salute to spring

The rabbit of the hour

45,000 spectators lined up along Neville Park Boulevard and Queen Street on Sunday to celebrate Easter. Children filled their baskets with chocolate eggs and watched the Easter Bunny wave atop a Corvette like he was the President.         (Click here to see the Bunny in action)

But, it was missing one crucial element. Jesus. There was no sign of him. Not even a bearded man in the audience. So, where was he? After all it is his holiday. Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection… or is it?

At first glance, the parade looked like it lost all traditional meanings of Easter; just another Hallmark holiday celebration. But, it’s actually more than that.

According to the popular website ask.com Easter includes many Pagan traditions – and the Easter Parade is a celebration of just that.

The word Easter comes from the name Eostre, the pagan goddess of rebirth. Her name is derived from the ancient word for spring. Every April pagans held a celebration in her honor.

Today, we celebrate Eostre by dressing floats in pastel colors and spring flowers, marking the yearly time of renewal.

Ever wonder why chocolate eggs are handed out and why baby chicks are all the rage this time of year? Well we have the ancient Egyptians, Persians and Hindus to thank for that. They believed the world started with a giant egg; another symbol of new life.

And perhaps the Easter Bunny’s appearance at the parade wasn’t to get kids excited about candy. Ok well, maybe it was. But, it’s also a symbol of fertility and reproduction. Rabbits are well known for their rapid reproduction habits.

So there you have it, Easter isn’t just about candy and stuffed bunnies, it’s about rebirth, renewal and a chance to celebrate life. And what better way to celebrate than with a good old fashion parade.

The sun shines on the Beaches Easter Parade

I scream, you scream!

Thank God for early spring. If it were 2008 I would have spent most of the Toronto Beaches Easter Parade hidden inside my parka, only peaking my head out to snag some free candy.

I remember snow and lots of it. Sharon Ramsden, the Director of the Beaches Lions Club recalled snow piled as high as people’s waists.

This year I left the jacket, gloves and hat at home and brought out the sun block. It was 24 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

I had a feeling the weather was going to prompt spectators to come out of the woodwork, so I planned ahead.

I arrived a half-hour before the Harlem Globe Trotters strolled down Queen Street and I grabbed a primo spot on the curb; a perfect spot to take pictures.

Sun block, check. Camera, check. I was ready to capture some Easter fun.

I had a great view as the Beaches Lions Club’s Noah’s Arc float and the Monkey Club‘s bunny float passed by.

Two hours later the Easter Bunny made his appearance and the parade was over. I packed up my gear and headed out.

This year, I didn’t wait for the TTC to get me home. The closures along Queen Street stopped the operation of the streetcar and buses from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Last time, the crowd was forced to make a forty-five minute trek, up hill, to Main Station. To avoid the mayhem, I decided to walk home, avoiding the hill.

The nice weather and strategic planning made this years parade one to remember.

Easter parade hops through Beaches

All aboard the Monkey Bus!

By Vanessa Brown

There’s a new float in town. An old school bus painted bubble-gum pink, clad with bunny ears and whiskers, blew non-stop bubbles to the crowd.

Spreading the word

Lisa Carey couldn’t have picked a better time to launch her party business. Established just a few months ago, Carey set her sights on promoting the Monkey Club at the Beaches Easter parade.

“The float represents…everything to do with fun, pink, animated Easter time,” Carey explained. “Monkey Club is a club for kids…Anything to do with kids, we want to be a part of it and encourage fun monkey behaviour.”

At the 44th annual Beaches Easter parade on April fourth, there was a sea of kids lined along Queen Street East. Along with parents and relatives, they eagerly awaited the Easter bunny and collected chocolates in their baskets in the meantime.

Monkeying around

Carey speaks with vigour about entertaining children. She and co-owner Germaine Macdonald both have kids of their own. As mothers, they have experience in making parties, birthdays and craft-time fun.

“We do all the monkey work for the parents so there’s nothing they have to do,” said Carey, taking a break from getting the bunny float ready. “We do everything for them (parents) and allow the kids to be as fun, silly, and outrageous as they want to be.”

Sunscreen in April

Outrageous seemed to be the parade’s theme this year. Torontonians pleasantly awoke to the hot sun on Easter morning. T-shirts and shorts was the dress code du jour.

Sharon Ramsden, from the Beaches Lions Club, has been the director of the parade for the last three years. She said she’s seen all kinds of elements for the yearly celebration.

“The weather is amazing!” Ramsden remarked. “We had a parade two years ago where the snowbanks were high. I just think it’s a wonderful time to have good weather for a parade.”

Ramsden said there were over one hundred participants in the parade, including floats, marchers and bands. Observers were treated to a pair of Harlem Globetrotters spinning basketballs on their index fingers. A group of young adults marched by dressed like characters from Star Wars.

“It’s all about entertaining,” Ramsden said.

“We want to show everyone in the Beach area what we’re all about,” Carey added. “This is our community, so we thought this would be a great place to launch (the float).”

See the founders of the Monkey Club and their float

Easter Parade Photo Gallery!

Click here to listen to the parade!

This years Easter Parade in The Beaches was the best one yet, mostly because the weather was amazing. It was almost 25 degrees!

Here’s the parade in picture form for those of you who couldn’t make it.

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