Ottawa Santa Claus Parade 2026: Saturday, Nov. 21 at 11 a.m., Route and Start Point

Ottawa’s Help Santa Toy Parade is on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), according to the organizer’s site, toyparade.ca. It begins at Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Somerset St. W. and ends at Lansdowne Park and TD Place. This story gives the route as a table, compares the weekend with Toronto’s parade the next day, and has a one-page day guide you can print.

The organizer’s homepage calls this the parade’s 57th year: “The Help Santa Toy Parade is back on track for 2026 for our 57th year!”

Ottawa Santa Claus Parade route and start point

Point	What the organizer says
Date	Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026
Start time	11 a.m. ET
Beginning	Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Somerset St. W.
Direction	South along Queen Elizabeth Driveway
Ending	Lansdowne Park and TD Place

The route map on the organizer’s site shows the same line: it starts at Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Somerset St. W., runs south along the driveway beside the Rideau Canal and ends at Princess Patricia Way at Lansdowne Park. The map file is labeled 2025, and the 2026 homepage shows it, so check toyparade.ca again before you leave. We did not find intermediate cross streets on the page, so none are listed here.

Has the Ottawa parade route changed?

Yes, compared with older listings. Bell Media’s broadcast network (CTV), on its Ottawa news site, reported on Nov. 21, 2025 that “This year’s Help Santa Toy Parade will step out along a new route.” The 2026 route on toyparade.ca is on Queen Elizabeth Driveway, so any page that still sends you to Elgin St. or Laurier Ave. is out of date. Some listings also show an 8 a.m. time; the organizer’s page says 11 a.m.

What time is the Ottawa parade in other time zones?

The organizer gives one time, 11 a.m. It does not name a zone, and Ottawa is on ET, which is Eastern Standard Time after Nov. 1.

Zone	Start
Eastern (Ottawa)	11 a.m.
Central	10 a.m.
Mountain	9 a.m.
Pacific	8 a.m.

Ottawa on Saturday and Toronto on Sunday

Toronto’s Original Santa Claus Parade is the next day, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, according to thesantaclausparade.com. Our Toronto Santa Claus Parade story has its details.

	Ottawa	Toronto
Parade	Help Santa Toy Parade, 57th year	The Original Santa Claus Parade, 122nd year
Date	Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026	Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026
Start time	11 a.m. ET	Not yet announced

What does the Ottawa parade raise money for?

The organizer’s site asks for donations to its “Help Santa Campaign,” which goes to Toy Mountain, and says: “Toy Mountain provides 3 toys for each child thanks to your support.” The site has a donate button. It also shows the logos of the Ottawa Professional Fire Fighters’ Association and Ottawa Fire.

What is not yet announced for the Ottawa parade?

• City of Ottawa road closure notice for Nov. 21
• OC Transpo detours (the transit agency’s site refused automated access, so we could not check it)
• National Capital Commission (NCC) driveway closure times
• End time
• TV or livestream
• Weather policy

The organizer’s site says its volunteers “will be posted at all road closures,” so closures are expected, but no times were published when we checked on Nov. 4, 2026.

Ottawa parade day guide to print

The printable day guide puts the start time and both route points on one sheet, with the open items listed so you can fill them in later. Put Saturday, Nov. 21 on the November 2026 printable calendar, and see the Canada holidays page for statutory days. For later December plans, use the December 2026 printable calendar, and see our Canada Christmas markets 2026 story, which includes Ottawa.