Petes on earth good will to men

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Almost 12 years ago, a little boy in this city overlooking the western tip of Lake Superior expressed one of those angelic wishes; the kind that can only come from an ailing child.

He always wanted to go for a ride in a big rig.

Some enterprising local put the boy in touch with "Sunshine Dreams for Kids" which answers those kinds of prayers. And not only did he get a ride in a truck, the little boy got to ride in a parade full of big trucks, assembled in his honor.

This month, 11 years, later, the Thunder Bay Annual Parade of Lights Christmas trucking parade attracted about 55 big rigs — all tricked out in Christmas lights — to help raise money for charity and kick off the season of goodwill.

The parade, under starry skies and over snow-covered roads, took place Saturday, Dec., 5; and all the money raised (the final count isn’t in yet) goes to the Sunshine Dreams for Kids, Autism Ontario Thunder Bay Chapter and the Thunder Bay Therapeutic Riding Association.

Big trucks like this: Exactly what little boys
parade for. (Photo courtesy, Victoria Erickson)

Marshall Erickson is among the local organizers. He has been involved for the past eight years and reports that once, again, he was overwhelmed this year by the community’s support.

"I’m not sure what it is that draws people — it’s partially the lights; the sound, the fact that it’s kicking off the Christmas season — but whatever it is, it sure works," Erickson tells todaystrucking.com.

Marshall, who in fact marshals the trucks at Manitoulin Transport’s Thunder Bay yards, says that without the support of the trucking industry, there’d be no event. 

"No trucks, no parade. And you have to hand it to these guys. To some of them, their trucks are their offices, their workplaces.

"They take time on their days off not only to drive in the parade but to decorate their rigs. You really have to give them credit for this." 

Meanwhile, in other ‘light’ truck news: With more than 7,000 (!) twinkling multicolored lights adorning his Kenworth dump truck, the grand-prize winner in the 2009 Cumberland, B.C., Christmas Light Up was Kevin Logan, of K&T Trucking.

Hundreds of residents big and small lined the village square of this central Island community on Sunday December 5, for the four-year-old parade, which actually got off to a late start because one of the trucks had a flat tire.

However, in keeping with the spirit of the season, that entrant, from Clark’s Household Moving, went home with the spirit award.

All told, 15 trucks turned out for the ’09 Christmas Light Up.