HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-12-19, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013.
For George Langlois, a charter
member of the Brussels Optimist
Club, it’s not too difficult to find a
Christmas tradition that has stood
the test of time.
Langlois has spent the last 15
years or so as Santa Claus in the
annual Brussels Santa Claus Parade,
among a number of other functions,
so when the holiday rolls around, it’s
not very hard to find him.
Despite having a stroke a few
years ago, Langlois has continued
his stint as the big guy come
December and says he has no plans
to step down.
“It’s quite a job, but it’s fun,”
Langlois said in an interview with
The Citizen. “If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t
do it.”
The parade, he says, is always a
big day on his calendar every year.
What keeps him coming back is the
children he gets to meet every year.
Langlois took over the big chair in
the Brussels Santa Claus Parade
when Wayne Lowe, who had
previously been Santa, passed away.
He says Lowe loved Christmas, so it
was hard to lose him around that
time of year.
“It gets in your blood,” Langlois
said. “It can be a hell of a job some
days.”
Langlois says getting dressed as
Santa Claus is the hardest part of the
job. He spent money on a good
quality suit, which looks great, but is
no picnic to change into, he says.
Luckily, however, he is not alone.
His wife Pat makes the journey with
him every year as Mrs. Claus, a job
she particularly enjoys as well.
“She enjoys it,” Langlois says.
“The kids, the parade, all of it.”
Every year, Langlois says, he
plays the big role at about 12
different events throughout Brussels,
Clinton and Seaforth.
“Playing Santa Claus is a big dealto me,” Langlois says. “As long as
I’m alive, I’ll get up there every
year.”
Langlois grew up in Sudbury as
part of a French-Canadian family, so
Christmas, he says, was always an
important time of year, with lots of
food and drink to be had around the
holidays.
In the early 1970s, Langlois first
visited Seaforth, fell in love with
Huron County and vowed to move
back as soon as he could. He and Pat
lived in Seaforth and they moved to
Brussels soon after.
“I’ve been to a lot of places and
Huron County is just the most
beautiful,” Langlois says.
Another mandatory stop on
Langlois’ Christmas tour every year
is the celebration on Hill Street inClinton.
At home, however, Langlois
doesn’t need to dress up as Santa for
his family. He spends plenty of time
over the holidays with his children,
grandchildren and even his six-
month-old great-granddaughter, no
suit necessary.
Langlois plays Santa to Brussels for years
Playing the big guy
George Langlois, Santa, seen here with his wife Pat, Mrs. Claus, has been greeting the people
of Brussels every year at the annual Santa Claus Parade for years and George says it’s
something that he’ll never get sick of doing. The pair is seen here at this year’s parade at the
end of November. (Vicky Bremner photo)
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Back row from left: Tracey McKee, Jim Sills, Anne Sills, Russell MacDonald.
Front row: Joanne Sans, Isaiah Sills, Jacob Sills, Mitchell McKee.
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By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
See photos from the
Brussels Santa Claus
Parade
on our website at
www.northhuron.on.ca