The biggest parade Whitby has ever staged will march through town this Saturday (Aug. 25) at 1 p.m. in honor of Anne Ottenbrite-“Whitby’s Golden Girl.”
According to Whitby Fire Chief Ed Crouch – who is organizing the parade – the participants will marshal on Manning Rd., before heading south on Brock St. to the Tourist Information Centre. From there the parade will head west on Burns St. to Henry St. where it will turn south towards the Iroquois Park Complex where the public reception will be held at 4 p.m.
Crouch says that the parade route itself is about four kilometres long and the parade is about two kilometres making it one of the longest ever staged in Whitby.
The grand marshal of the parade will be Anne Ottenbrite’s long-time swimming coach Paul Meronen. Her first coach, Lynne Trimbee, will also be part of the parade.
Aside from Whitby’s two Olympians – Ottenbrite and Glenn Beauchamp – at least two other members of Canada’s team will be on hand: Sylvia Rueggar, of Newcastle who came eighth in the women’s marathon, and Shawn O’Sullivan who won a silver medal in boxing.
Also invited are Michelle McPherson, a member of the bronze medal winning relay team which Ottenbrite was also on; Kelly Plipz, a member of Canada’s equestrian team; Karen Nelson of Oshawa, a member of the track and field contingent and Scott Mann, also of Oshawa, who played on the Olympic baseball team.
While the athletes will be the centre of attention, local politicians will also have a part to play in the parade. All members of the Whitby Town Council will be on hand as will be Regional Chairman Gary Herrema, Ontario Riding – M. P. Scott Fennell and Durham West M.P.P. George Ashe.
The list of other participants is reaching into the dozens.
Included are the local ringette association, the local minor baseball club, the Whitby Ladies’ Softball League, the Brooklin-Whitby minor Hockey Association, the Whitby Figure Skating Club, and, of course, the Whitby Iroquois Swim Club, and the Ajax Swim Club, of which Ottenbrite is a member. The Toronto Fire Department’s antique tiller truck will also be part of the festivities.
All of Whitby’s service clubs, the Lions, Optimists, Jaycees, Rotary and Kinsmen – will also participate, as the Oshawa and Whitby Judo Club.
The Oshawa Shrine Club will not only have their band but their clowns and motorcycles Corps. in the parade as well.
There will be at least eight bands including the Whitby Brass Band, the Whitby Sea Cadet Band the Warkworth Flute and Drum Band, the Ottawa Firefighters Band and the Ulster Accordian Band.
Floats will be entered by the Durham Region Family YMCA, the day camps of the Whitby Parks and Recreation Department, the Whitby Hydro Electric Commission and Consumers’ Gas.
The Whitby Fire Department will also enter its float and bathtub which Crouch says has been painted gold and labelled “Anne’s First Swimming Pool.”
The parade promises to be one of the best ever put on in Whitby and will be a symbol of the Town’s pride in Ottenbrite’s and Beauchamp’s great accomplishments.
