Belleville council will delay any decision on a parade route for the annual Santa Claus parade until after the Thanksgiving long weekend.
The organizers of the parade, the Belleville Chamber of Commerce, have again suggested that the route run from the fairgrounds straight east through the downtown on Bridge Street and end at the Bayview Mall.
However, council agreed with Mayor Mitch Panciuk that the proposed new route is just now becoming known to the public and a final decision won’t come until October 15 so the public will have time to comment.
Councillor Ryan Williams says the Chamber has been working well with the Downtown Improvement Area board and many members have no serious issues with the new route.
Councillor Sean Kelly said he’d be happy to see the end of conflict of a parade route. “Believe me, the kids don’t care about the route. They just want a parade!”
In past years, the parade started and ended at the former Quinte Secondary School. That property is no longer available for such a use.
The Belleville Santa Claus parade is scheduled for November 17 at 4:30.
