How we’re giving Santa the green light in downtown Winnipeg

Santa Claus is coming to town. Downtown will be packed this Saturday for the annual Manitoba Hydro Santa Parade.

A lot has to happen before that first float rolls down the street.

We’re proud to play a role supporting the organizers of an event that has brought the city so much joy for generations.

Santa’s parade plan starts early

It all starts months in advance. Led by the Film and Special Events Office, our Special Events Committee brings together experts from all areas of our organization. It works with the event organizers to understand the parade logistics and what needs to happen to ensure it is a safe and successful experience for everyone.

It’s something we do for all major events that take place in the city.

As Santa’s arrival approaches, a traffic management plan is finalized that covers everything from lane closures to parking restrictions, and even traffic signal timing. Winnipeg Transit also plans their reroutes and temporary stop relocations for the day because of the road closures.

“The goal is to minimize impacts on people travelling while providing a safe space for the event,” said Jared Vanderwees, a Traffic Network Engineer with us. “This year, coordination is particularly important because several other events are occurring downtown on the same day, including at the RBC Convention Centre, Canada Life Centre, and Centennial Concert Hall.”

The signs of the season

You could say, we’re kind of like Santa. We’ve made our list and are checking it twice. Our staff, just like the elves, are very busy leading up to the big day. We even have a workshop, but instead of toys, we make street signs about road closures.

The numbers are impressive. It takes a team of 27 Traffic Services staff to prepare and install all the parade-related materials. This includes 280 parking removal signs and 11 info signs.

Then on parade day, our six crews (with two people on each) start to close the roads beginning at 11 a.m. They stay on site, provide support to the Winnipeg Police Service, and pick up all the signage once the crowds disappear. It’s close to midnight by the time everything is picked up and returned to the shop.

Spreading some traffic signal magic

Even though Rudolph’s nose is red, our traffic signals team makes sure he always get green lights on our roads. But reindeer aren’t the only ones we change the traffic signal lights for.

We adjust the traffic signal timing to best manage the increased flow of pedestrians and vehicles expected in the downtown. Around 38 intersections have their light cycle timing changed leading up to, during, and after the parade.

For many of the intersections, the light cycle on the Saturday evening of the parade will be operating more like a weekday morning rush hour. We also see every parade as an opportunity to make the signal timing better.

“We have used this same parade route for a while now, so we are able to stick with the same plan that has worked previously,” said Morgan Glasgow, our Traffic Signals Systems Supervisor. “There still may be some lessons learned that lead to small changes so we check in on the traffic cameras each year to see what is working and make adjustments if needed.”

Yule want to plan ahead

Keep in mind, the parade route will begin westbound on Portage Avenue at Main Street, travel down Portage Avenue to Memorial Boulevard, then take Memorial Boulevard to St. Mary Avenue where it ends.

The following routes will be closed from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday November 14 for the parade:

• Memorial Boulevard in both directions between Broadway and Portage Avenue 
• Portage Avenue in both directions between Main Street and St. Mary Avenue 
• Southbound Main Street from William Avenue to York Avenue 
• Edmonton Street (northbound one-way) from Graham Avenue to Portage Avenue 
• Vaughan Street between Graham Avenue and Portage Avenue 
• Portage Avenue East from Main Street to Westbrook Street 

Many travel restrictions will also be in place. Make sure to check our lane closure map as well as the full list of road closures and traffic impacts if your travels on Saturday take you through the downtown. Consider downloading the Waze app in advance and use it for real-time traffic updates. 

Transit is also a great option to get you to the parade or other events downtown. Just make sure to check for any reroutes that may be in place for your trip. Follow @TransitAlerts on X for details and updates. 

Please also be extra cautious when around the parade route. Children will be excited to see Santa and may move unexpectedly near traffic. We want it to be a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.

We’re joining the fun

We’re not just helping behind the scenes of the parade. We’ll also be in it.

Several of our departments have entered floats. Keep a look out for our giant traffic signal, snowplows, police cars, and many more vehicles and employees.

It’s an evening many of our staff take pride in being involved with. We can’t wait to see you along the parade route!