Santa Claus parade in Sydney to include Whitney Pier

The annual Sydney Santa Claus parade will go through Whitney Pier after all.

The official Facebook site of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality has posted a route map that includesa long stretch of Victoria Road, the main street though Whitney Pier.

Last week, Alan Nathanson, chair of Whitney Pier's neighbourhoodimprovement group, Friends of NevillePark,said he'd been told by a member of the parade committee that the route would end in Open Hearth Park and not in Whitney Pier.

The committee never officially confirmed that it had eliminated WhitneyPier from the route. ButNathansonwas so upset at the prospect that he began organizing a separate paradefor the neighbourhood.

He said he's glad that won't have to happen.

"We're happy that we're still part of the Santa Claus parade that originated in the Pier," he said.

InaFacebookpost Tuesday, the Cape Breton Regional Municipalitysaid that "upon consultation with community stakeholders" the parade begin in north-end Sydney and end in Whitney Pier.

While Whitney Pier is on the parade route, there have been changes. For example, unlike in past years the parade will not travel down Sydney's main street, Charlotte Street, out of safety concerns, and will travel only a portion of George Street.

In its Facebook post, CBRM said that"with public safety and traffic concerns in mind, the new route will provide increased parking and exit routes for all of our parade participants."

It also says the new route is aimed at decreasing traffic problems for those attending the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles game that night at Centre 200.

There was an effort to remove Whitney Pier from the parade route last year too. Committee members said then that the parade had become too long, and was difficult for participants who walked most of the route.

Nathanson said he worries the idea willbe floated againnext year. The last-minute organizing of a parade in Whitney Pier hasbeen put on hold, he said, and "hopefully we never to pull out these plans again."