2022 – Celebrating the Holiday Season With Great Heart in Wawa

On December 2 Wawa kicked off its Christmas and holiday celebrations. With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. this promised to make December 2022 a great one.

It all started with the Festival of Lights and the Goose Nest Bundle Up Market from December 2 to 4th where you could shop for locally handmade gifts or some of that fabulous Christmas baking and even take your picture with Santa.

 

 

On December 3rd at the Red Apple, OPP, Paramedic Services of Algoma District and Wawa Fire Department held their annual Fill a Sleigh toy drive where they presented the Wawa Christmas Hamper Fund with many, many toys, and a $10,000 cheque that had been donated anonymously.

On December 4th, the firefighters with assistance from staff and students from Saint Augustine French immersion School took to the streets in their annual Christmas Hamper Food Drive. This year the firefighters were joined by Wawa-news reporter Luc Berthiaume and his daughter Karolynne. They joined them not only to lend a hand but to also pay tribute to Luc’s cousin Chris Casavant who was a volunteer firefighter and to show support for Chris’s brother Yannick who is also a volunteer firefighter. Chris passed away the previous week in a collision north of Wawa. The support from the community was impressive! Three pickup truckloads full and $1,918,95 in cash donations from Wawa residents. It’s always such a pleasure to see the generosity of Wawa residents.

 

On December 10, Community Christmas was held, and many children visited with Santa & Mrs. Claus. On Thursday, December 15 the Wawa Christmas Hamper Committee delivered 165 hampers to residents of our community.

On Friday, December 16th, the Annual Christmas Parade was back this time an actual parade not the drive-through parades we saw in the past 2 years due the pandemic. The parade was quite the sight with more then 30 floats and trucks. For the first time since my childhood this parade was the biggest, and the most beautiful. The work put in this year by organizers, community partners and residents made the parade, breathtaking and one to be remembered for a long time. To add to the magic of the evening, the weather was amazing and-not cold which is a rare treat for Wawaites in December. The parade corridor along Broadway Avenue and Mission Road was lined with residents young and old cheering as the floats went by. Kids were jumping for joy especially with all the candy being thrown from the floats! Not that I’m old or remotely getting old but this year’s parade made me feel like a kid again .. well that may have been the sugar buzz from the candy canes I stole from my kids…

 

The Annual Festival of Lights has concluded. This year there were 27 homes in Wawa, and two in Michipicoten River Village competing for a prize. 1st Prize – 120 Superior, 2nd Prize – 55 Third Avenue and 3rd Prize – 56 Winston Road.

 

A very Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone!