Today in Guelph, ON’s Santa Claus parade there will be a superhero themed float, covered with paintings of notable Canadian heroes by Jay Stephens and featuring cosplayers dressed as Canadian superheroes. It will be followed by an event at the Eisner Award-winning shop The Dragon, who are also sponsors of the Dragon Award handed out annually as part of the Joe Shuster Awards.

From the press release:

At 1.45pm the grand parade opener will set off. Canadian Superheroes such as Wolverine, Superman, Nelvana of the Northern Lights, Arrowhead, Captain Canuck and Equinox will be showcased on a float built by Turtleshell Studios. Event organizer Sam Jewell says ‘people might know that Wolverine is Canadian, but lesser known is the fact that Superman was co-created by a Canadian and Clark Kent first worked at the Daily Star, based on the Toronto Star. Also his hometown of Metropolis was based on Toronto’.

One of the two female superheroes, Nelvana of the Northern Lights, was Canada’s first ever comic book superhero in 1941 and was based on a real-life Inuit woman. Cecile Lyall, who will play Nelvana at the parade, is from the same community as the original Nelvana and is excited to travel to Guelph for the parade. ‘She was a role model in my community and I’m very proud to be here and show her to the people of Guelph’.

An event at award-winning comics and games store, The Dragon, will give parade-goers the chance to meet with their superheroes. Based in the warmth of Old Quebec Street Shoppes, the store will run the event directly after the parade and will have Captain Canuck costume creator Kalman Andrasofszky signing for fans, as well as Nelvana historian Hope L Nicholson to tell us all about Canada’s first female superhero. Also in attendance, local illustrator and creator of Arrowhead, Jay Stephens.

Full release can be read here http://visitguelphwellington.ca/events/3024