Why communities everywhere are banning candy tossing at parades Artwork

Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered conversations that matter

In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find. This new podcast from Village Media — ‘Closer Look’ — is all about the stories we tell. Every weeknight, hosts Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith go beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

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Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered conversations that matter

Why communities everywhere are banning candy tossing at parades

November 20, 2025 • Village Media Inc.

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We cover a lot of different issues on this podcast: some extremely serious, some much lighter. Today’s topic can fall on either end of the spectrum, depending on your viewpoint.

Should candy tossing be outlawed at community parades?

There was a time, not long ago, when local parades were a literal rain shower of candy chucked from floats. But after a few tragic accidents — including the 2018 death of a four-year-old girl during a Christmas parade in Nova Scotia — many organizers across North America started banning candy throwing altogether.

Today, most community parades in Ontario don’t allow the practice, opting instead for volunteers walking the route to hand out goodies. It drastically lowers the risk of a child running into the path of a passing float.

Not everyone agrees with the change. Some consider it an attack on a beloved tradition, or just another silly example of safety overkill.

But there are legitimate liability issues to consider, as well as the need to keep insurance costs down.

Our guest on tonight’s Closer Look is Tudor Gagea, an associate at the personal injury law firm Oakley Vigmond, whose office locations include Toronto, Sudbury Barrie and North Bay.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

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Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is closerlook@villagemedia.ca.