Check out these old Community Day parades (21 photos)

The much-anticipated Rotaryfest Community Day Parade is less than a week away, and we at SooToday.com thought our readers might be interested in a retrospective history of the popular event. Sault Ste. Marie's favourite summer tradition actually began as an early-fall event 87 years ago.

“In 1922, the Rotary Club organized the city’s first Community Night parade, held on September 23 that year,” says Sault Ste. Marie Museum Curator Kim Forbes.

“According to Sault Star coverage, the parade had 3,000 entries, with children accounting for 175 of them. The procession featured decorated floats, marching bands, adults and kids in a variety of costumes.”

Originally conceived by James W. Curran, the newspaper’s publisher, the parade formed on Gore Street and began moving along Queen towards Pim at 7:30 p.m.

Afterwards, participants and onlookers gathered at the courthouse grounds for street dancing, singing and other events.

“Rotarians raised $1,200 that first year through silver donations,” Forbes continued. “The money was used to purchase what was known as the ‘Babies Car’ for Miss Bertha Miller, the public health nurse. The goal was to help reduce the infant mortality rate.”

During Community Night 1925, the Rotary Club raffled its first car, a Tudor Ford Sedan.

The museum-provided photos accompanying this article were taken at 1927 to 1939 (excluding 1929) Community Night parades.

Shown above is a 1928 float.

Much besides the parade was new when the city of over 20,000 residents first enjoyed a Community Night parade more than a lifetime ago.

The courthouse in use today had been completed in 1921.

In 1922, a new central fire hall opened on the northwest corner of Bruce and Wellington streets.

During the same year and a few hundred yards due west, a new Technical School was being readied to accommodate 200 students.

Meanwhile, the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie had been founded four years before its first parade.

Forty-nine charter Rotarians held their inaugural meeting at the Spring Street YMCA on June 15, 1918.

The Sault Ste. Marie Museum is a non-profit institution located on the northwest corner of Queen and East streets in the former ”Old Post Office“ building, which is owned and made available by the City of Sault Ste. Marie.

From June to September, the museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

During the rest of the year, the museum's hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.