The Surrey RCMP is looking forward to participating in the 2018 Surrey Vaisakhi Day Parade which takes place on Saturday, April 21.
Our local Vaisakhi Day Parade is one of the largest Vaisakhi celebrations in the world outside of India. The parade is a major attraction for the city, drawing visitors from across the Lower Mainland. Last year, more than 500,000 people participated. Surrey RCMP will be on site not only for public safety and traffic control, but also to take part in all the festivities the event has to offer.
With the large crowds it can be easy for people to become separated from their group. During previous Vaisakhi celebrations, the Surrey RCMP has responded to dozens of incidents of missing children or elderly persons.
Having a plan in place with your family prior to the event can greatly reduce your risk of separation. Review with your family what to do if in fact this does occurs.
Looking forward to celebrating the spirit and generosity of the Sikh community at Saturday's #SurreyVaisakhi parade. Find event info and safety tips -> https://t.co/KG8xGbowBF pic.twitter.com/NM60thVGb1
— Surrey RCMP (@SurreyRCMP) April 19, 2018
A plan may include these simple tips:
Familiarize your family members with their surroundings and have a pre-planned meeting place
Equip your family members with some form of identification and your contact information
Make sure everyone in your party is aware of the location of the Surrey RCMP missing person’s tent and the location of emergency personnel Keep a current photo of your child on you in case you need to describe them to police
Keep your children within eyesight at all times
We encourage participants to take a photo of their child or elderly adult on their phone as they leave the house or when they arrive at the event, says Cpl. Elenore Sturko This provides police with a completely accurate description in the event of a reported missing person.
A number of road closures will be taking place in the City of Surrey this weekend due to the parade. Police ask that members of the public make arrangements to use alternate routes.
A number of road closures this weekend due to #SurreyVaisakhi Check out @CityofSurrey website for route details: https://t.co/tFrkPuv1Ol pic.twitter.com/Hw0mHZwWwe
— Surrey RCMP (@SurreyRCMP) April 20, 2018
Parade Route and Road Closures
The parade will begin at approximately 9am at Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, located at 12885 85th Avenue, and will conclude there at approximately 6pm. To facilitate parade activities, area residents and businesses should be advised there will be:
Road Closures
Traffic Disruptions
Restrictions to Access
Temporary Parking Restrictions
Traffic controls will be in place beginning at 6am until approximately 8pm.
Access to 128th Street and road sections along the parade route will be impacted most significantly. Increased delays may be expected for travel through and within the area between 72nd Avenue to 88th Avenue, and Scott Road to King George Boulevard. Please plan your routes accordingly.
Resident Access
As of 2017, residents no longer need a permit to pass through the closed area. In order to streamline the process and eliminate extra work for residents, residents in the affected area will simply need to show their BC Driver’s License and the Officials at the checkpoints (intersections) will let them through as long as the address on their BC Driver’s License is in the affected area. Please update your address with ICBC if you have recently moved. Permits will only be required by, and issued to affected businesses.
Business Access
Businesses in the affected area will need to download and complete a permit application to pass through the closed areas. Once the permit application has been filled out, it needs to be taken in person to the District Three RCMP office, located at 13700 72 Avenue.
Stages and Food Service
If you plan to have a performance stage or provide food service, these activities must be on your property - the use of City road and/or sidewalks is not permitted. The property owner must accept all responsibility and liability for the stage and food services operation, ensuring that the activities are operated in a safe manner, and have all necessary permits and approvals. Please review Fraser Health's Vaisakhi Food Service Information and visit the following links for detailed permit information:
Photo: City Of Surrey
