Residents from around the region gathered over the weekend to enjoy holiday cheer at the Embrun and Russell Christmas parades. However, an incident involving the Marvel movie character Deadpool during Embrun’s celebration sparked some criticism prompting a official response from the Township.
The Embrun parade made its way down Notre Dame Street on Saturday, Nov. 23, from Town Hall to the intersection of Notre-Dame and St-Augustin to end on Blais Street.
The next day, Sunday, Nov. 24, the Russell parade travelled along Russell Road from Héritage Road to the Russell High School.
Both events featured colorful floats, music, and appearances by Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, much to the delight of attendees. Russell’s parade boasted 55 floats, including contributions from the Russell Lions Club, the Tandem Axle Road Show, and other local organizations. After the parade, refreshments and photo opportunities with Santa were offered at Russell High School, with Mayor Mike Tarnowski and Councillor Lisa Deacon in attendance.
While both parades were overwhelmingly joyful, Embrun’s parade featured a bit of a black mark on the largely festive event. Residents were not happy when someone dressed as the R-rated superhero Deadpool waved around a prop gun and pointed it at the crowds who showed up for the parade.
The Township of Russell released a statement letting residents know that they have been made aware of the “inappropriate behaviour” and that although the individuals were registered in the parade, “their actions were not approved by the parade organizers, l’Association des pompiers d’Embrun, and do not reflect the values of our community.”
Despite the incident, the weekend’s festivities largely succeeded in bringing holiday cheer to the towns of Embrun and Russell, as residents and visitors gathered to celebrate the start of the Christmas season.
