Scout and Guide parade in Hamilton

Scouts and Girl Guides descended on the streets of downtown Hamilton on Saturday to take part in the 75th annual Scout and Guide parade.

The parade is a Hamilton tradition that first took place in 1939 and is the only parade of its kind in North America.

The organizations have changed over the years, but the focus on bringing kids outdoors remains the same. “When I was a scout, way back, we would be doing morse code and maps, now they’re geocaching. So they stay relevant, they stay fun. And every year there are reviews of the program to see what works and what doesn’t,” says Kevin Thur, who organized this year’s parade.

The parade also featured the 24th annual Hunger is Not an Option food drive for Hamilton Food Share. More than $1,000 and around 600 pounds of food was collected for the community from today’s event.