Santa Claus and his parade warms Ottawa's small-town heart

You can almost throw a snowball to Parliament Hill from parts of Ottawa’s Help Santa Toy Parade route.
But as the parade wound through downtown Saturday morning, it was never more apparent just how far apart Ottawa, the national capital, and Ottawa, the city, really are.
One day of the year, usually a wintry one in mid-November, Ottawa reveals itself as a small town at heart as the city’s Santa Claus parade brings out a snowsuit-clad horde of fans — just a few of whom will slee