Monday, December 22, 2025
    ADVT 
    National

    Largest Vaisakhi parade back in Surrey after 3 years, attended by an estimated 700,000

    Darpan News Desk Darpan, 24 Apr, 2023 04:21 PM
    • Largest Vaisakhi parade back in Surrey after 3 years, attended by an estimated 700,000

    One of the most anticipated multicultural events of the Lower Mainland the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade was celebrated over the weekend after a 3 year pandemic hiatus. 

    Canada’s largest Vaisakhi Parade outside of Punjab, India took place on Saturday, April 22, in Surrey, and was attended by 700,000 people. 

    Vaisakhi is a significant festival in Sikhism and Punjab, commemorating the harvest season and the birth of the Khalsa, the community of baptized Sikhs. The festival has gained prominence in Canada, especially in British Columbia, home to the largest Sikh population outside of India.

    Surrey residents were excited to be a part of the parade once again and dressed up in colourful traditional attire. 

    The parade route started at the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, one of the largest Sikh temples in North America, on 128th street and 85th Ave, and wound through the streets of Surrey, attracting participants and spectators from all over the Lower Mainland and beyond.

    Road closures were in place from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm on the day of the parade. 128th Street was closed and detours were in place between 72 Avenue to 88 Avenue, and Scott Road to King George Boulevard.

    The colorful and vibrant community event started building around 8:30am and saw volunteers and local businesses enthusiastically handing out treats and food to attendees in order to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience. 

    To ensure the event ran smoothly  Surrey Fire Service, Surrey RCMP, Surrey Police Service, Surrey Bylaws and BC Ambulance Service were also on scene.

    High profile politicians such as Premier David Eby, Opposition leader of the BC United Party, Kevin Falcon, and MLA Jinny Sims were in attendance at the parade. 

    The Darpan Magazine team was at the parade in full force and parade goers were eager to pick up a copy of the special Vaisakhi issue of the magazine. 

    Darpan Magazine hopes to see more of you take part in the Vaisakhi celebration next year. 

     

    Prev Next

    MORE National ARTICLES

    66 more potential graves at former B.C. school

    66 more potential graves at former B.C. school
    In addition to the reflections found in a technical survey, she said interviews with survivors and searches through archival records revealed that babies born as a result of child sexual assault at the mission were disposed of by incineration.  Spearing said their work found "a minimum" of 28 children died at the mission, many of them buried in unmarked graves around the site.

    66 more potential graves at former B.C. school

    Famed Canadian skating coach guilty of sex assault

    Famed Canadian skating coach guilty of sex assault
    Richard Gauthier was on trial on three charges in connection with crimes he committed in the 1980s involving a teenage male skater whom he trained. Gauthier, 61, was found guilty on two charges, in a ruling rendered in Montreal by Quebec court Judge Josée Bélanger. He was acquitted of a third count of indecent assault against the victim, whose identity is covered by a publication ban.

    Famed Canadian skating coach guilty of sex assault

    'Take action,' drivers urged man on bridge: police

    'Take action,' drivers urged man on bridge: police
     Police say drivers on the Alex Fraser Bridge outside Vancouver honked and yelled at a man in a mental health crisis standing outside the safety rail, with some encouraging him to "take action." According to a police statement, some drivers walked up the bridge deck, interfered with the negotiations, and videoed or photographed the man.  

    'Take action,' drivers urged man on bridge: police

    Interfor gives up tenure to conserve B.C. valley

    Interfor gives up tenure to conserve B.C. valley
    The partnership to protect the Incomappleux Valley east of Revelstoke, B.C., involves Interfor Corp. giving up 75,000 hectares of its forest tenure. The Nature Conservancy says it a statement that several species at risk are found the valley, including two endangered bats and the threatened southern mountain caribou.  

    Interfor gives up tenure to conserve B.C. valley

    Online marketplace buyer is out $10K with counterfeit Rolex scam

    Online marketplace buyer is out $10K with counterfeit Rolex scam
    In November, 2022 a buyer connected with a seller on Craigslist to purchase what was advertised as a Rolex Wimbledon watch, which the seller said came with a receipt and certificate of authenticity. The buyer paid the seller $10,000 after meeting in-person in Burnaby.

    Online marketplace buyer is out $10K with counterfeit Rolex scam

    BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%

    BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%
    Inflation is projected to come down significantly this year. Lower energy prices, improvements in global supply conditions, and the effects of higher interest rates on demand are expected to bring CPI inflation down to around 3% in the middle of this year and back to the 2% target in 2024.

    BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%

    PrevNext