Occupy Vancouver forces rerouting of Rogers Santa Claus Parade

VANCOUVER – Rogers Santa Claus Parade will be rerouted come Dec. 4 because the Vancouver Art Gallery lawn, currently filled with the tents of the Occupy Vancouver protesters, will be unavailable, Rogers said in a news release today.

The parade, billed as one of the largest food and fund-raising events for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, normally travels east on West Georgia Street before turning right at Howe Street.

This year, the parade will start at West Georgia Street and Broughton, travel east along West Georgia, turn north on Burrard and finish at Burrard and Cordova.

“Our focus is on working with the City to make sure we have a route that can accommodate Parade goers and allow us to raise as much food and funds for the Food Bank as possible,” parade producer Robyn Jones-Murrell said in the release.

“We’ll be working with the media to let people know about the new route and encouraging families to join us downtown again this year. The parade kicks off the holiday season, so we want to get the word out that even though the route is changed the Rogers Santa Claus Parade will be as entertaining as ever.”

The release added that each year the art gallery lawn hosts the Coast Capital Savings Christmas Square, with family entertainment and a drop-off location for donations to the Food Bank. This year, the Christmas Square will be located on Thurlow Street between Georgia and Melville.