Safety measures recommended by Stephen MacKinnon receive council approvalPublished Nov 05, 2026Last updated 5 minutes ago6 minute readSanta Claus sends Christmas greetings during a nighttime parade in Sydney in 2017. CBRM council has green-lighted recommendations from interim regional police Chief Stephen MacKinnon, which means some communities can go ahead with having nighttime parades for the first time since 2018. CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle contentCape Breton Regional Municipality council has given the green light to communities wishing to hold nighttime Christmas parades for 2026 — albeit with conditions.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentIn a 10-1 vote, CBRM councillors in attendance, along with Mayor Cecil Clarke, gave its approval to safety measures recommended by interim Cape Breton Regional Police Chief Stephen MacKinnon.Article contentArticle contentThose recommendations, presented during council’s committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday at city hall in Sydney, included keeping the nighttime parade routes limited to 2.5 kilometres, allowing the total number of parade entries to a maximum of 60, and requiring four spotters for each entry — “two up front, two in back,” according to MacKinnon.Article contentArticle contentCouncil approved a motion at that time to direct the CBRM’s chief administrative officer to request that MacKinnon return to council chambers in November with a report outlining where and how nighttime parades can be safely held in the municipality — including any safety requirements, policing needs and costs — so that communities can plan for such nighttime parades.Article content Interim Cape Breton Regional Police Chief Stephen MacKinnon: “Although I always feel that there’s going to be a risk involved here, when I look at other areas (in the province) and how they do it, it’s about reducing that risk.” Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle contentAt that meeting, MacKinnon also put forth an initial veto for nighttime parades for this year.Article content‘INCREASED RISKS’Article content“Nighttime parades present increased risks to safety due to reduced visibility and require additional safety considerations, including staff requirements for road closures, traffic control and crowd management, and increased administrative, insurance and liability considerations,” MacKinnon reiterated to council on Tuesday.Article contentArticle contentCBRM council voted to ban nighttime parades in October 2019 over safety concerns prompted after a fatality involving a child during a 2018 evening Christmas parade in Yarmouth. Another child had also suffered injuries during a CBRM Pride Parade event in August 2019.Article contentArticle contentBut in November 2023, council voted to rescind its decision on the ban and directed staff to recommend changes to allow safer community parades during nighttime hours. Still, organizers of various Christmas parades opted to hold daytime festivities.Article contentOn Tuesday, MacKinnon said that a review of how several other Nova Scotia municipalities operate their Christmas parades during evening hours demonstrated that both daytime and nighttime festivities can operate safely under a variety of models, with such operational controls for dedicated police deployments, volunteer support personnel and mandatory float safety requirements.Article content The Grinch makes an appearance at a 2022 Holiday Parade of Lights event in Halifax. CBRPS interim police Chief Stephen MacKinnon said on Tuesday that a review of how several other Nova Scotia municipalities operate their Christmas parades during evening hours — including Halifax — demonstrated that both daytime and nighttime festivities can operate safely under a variety of models. Photo by RYAN TAPLIN/THE CHRONICLE HERALD FILEArticle contentThe communities referenced in MacKinnon’s report included nighttime parades held in Bridgewater, Halifax, Truro and, prior to 2026, New Glasgow.Article content“Although I always feel that there’s going to be a risk involved here, when I look at other areas (in the province) and how they do it, it’s about reducing that risk,” MacKinnon told council.Article content“We do five parades (in the CBRM) — New Waterford, Glace Bay, Northside, Louisbourg and Sydney — and they all (operate) their own holiday parades. That’s a massive amount of resources on our department. To sometimes fit (all those) in the block of time that we have between November and December, there (could be) two of those in one day — just to try and make that work.Article content“That’s why we need other partners to jump in. I spoke with other directors, sent an email to (regional) fire Chief Mark Bettens, public works, engineering and our partners in recreation to say, ‘What other supports are there for police to make sure this happens properly?’”Article contentTHREE OPTIONSArticle contentMacKinnon then presented three options for council to consider:Article content• Amend the CBRM parade safety rules with proposed enhanced safety requirements and provide additional municipal resources for traffic control to safely accommodate nighttime parades;Article contentArticle content• With amended rules and additional municipal resources, facilitate only one nighttime holiday parade for the entirety of the CBRM, as is done in all other municipalities in the province; orArticle content• Continue supporting daytime-only parades consistent with current police position as the lowest risk to public safety, with no additional operational requirements for any CBRM department.Article content CBRM District 9 Coun. Dave MacKeigan: “In moving to nighttime parades, aside from the (police chief’s) recommendations, there’s not much of a change in the rules.” Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle contentDistrict 9 Coun. Dave MacKeigan believed the first option was the best way to go — and put forth a motion for this option, supported by District 2 Coun. Earlene MacMullin.Article contentMacKeigan told council that in his district, the annual Santa Claus parades were put on by the Glace Bay Volunteer Fire Department, which always put safety as top of mind for the community.Article content“These parade safety rules have been followed for a number of years for the daytime parades,” he said. “In moving to nighttime parades, aside from the (interim police chief’s) recommendations, there’s not much of a change in the rules.”Article contentArticle contentWHITNEY PIER A CONCERNArticle contentMacKeigan and MacMullin each have long favoured nighttime parades for Glace Bay and North Sydney, respectively.Article contentBut District 12 Coun. Kim Sheppard-Campbell feels that daytime parades should remain — especially in Sydney, where altering a Santa Claus parade route length that did not include her district in Whitney Pier can upset the community, as a former organizing committee, district councillor and CBRM mayor all found out the hard way in 2022.Article content“We faced this in Whitney Pier for a few years, actually — a community where the Sydney Christmas parade was derived from,” Sheppard-Campbell told council. “And we’re going to exclude them from the parade (for 2026)?”Article contentPast Sydney-to-Whitney Pier parade routes initially covered up to seven kilometres, but in 2023 that was reduced to four kilometres.Article contentSheppard-Campbell told council that if a group looking to hold this year’s Sydney parade chooses to switch to a nighttime festivity, and thus have to reduce a parade route to 2.5 km, there would be not enough time to find a group to organize a separate Whitney Pier event.Article content“It’s too late for the community to come together now. It doesn’t give volunteers much time (to plan things),” said Sheppard-Campbell, the lone dissenting vote on the choice for the first option.Article content CBRM District 12 Coun. Kim Sheppard-Campbell: “It’s too late for the community (Whitney Pier) to come together now. It doesn’t give volunteers much time (to plan things).” Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle contentAt the moment, plans for the Sydney parade haven’t been revealed, Sheppard-Campbell later told the Cape Breton Post, adding that these may be coming from a different group than the committee which organized the event from 2022 to 2025.Article contentFIRE CHIEFS’ REACTIONSArticle contentMeanwhile, the council vote favouring nighttime parades put the North Sydney and Glace Bay volunteer fire departments in a fairly festive mood — as both of its chiefs were vociferous opponents of the 2019 ban.Article content“I’m glad that at least it’s come to a conclusion that we can live with for sure, and I think everybody can live with,” said North Sydney fire chief Lloyd MacIntosh, adding that the North Sydney Christmas parade will go ahead on Dec. 12, starting at 6 p.m.Article content“The conditions aren’t impossible (to follow). And for the sake of providing a nighttime parade, we’re we’re more than happy to you know to comply with those.”Article contentArticle content The North Sydney Santa Claus parade from 2017. For the first time since 2018, the community will once again experience a a nighttime Santa Claus parade, set for Dec. 12, at 6 p.m., and put on by the North Sydney Volunteer Fire Department. Photo by CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle contentGlace Bay fire chief John Chant said while he too is celebrating the return of nighttime parades, he’s also had to make the tough decision to reduce the 2026 community parade route — specifically, cutting out Brookside and Park streets as part of that route.Article content“I lose half my parade route because I’m down to 2.5 km instead of 4.2 km. Then again, there are pros and cons to everything, and I’m trying to stay positive about this,” said Chant, adding that this year’s event — set for Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. — will be the final parade in which he’ll lead as fire chief, as he is set to step down in that role on Dec. 6.Article content“It’s been a seven-year hiatus from it (the nighttime event), and it’s nice to get it back.”Article contentMeanwhile, a spokesperson for the New Waterford Christmas parade organizing committee said its Dec. 20 event will now start at 6 p.m.Article contentHowever, as of publication deadline time, organizers of Louisbourg’s parade, planned for Dec. 6 at 3 p.m., have yet to formally confirm whether there will be a time change to evening hours for its event.Article content
Nighttime parades given OK for CBRM with conditions
