Surrey Vaisakhi Parade cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic

The annual Surrey Vaisakhi parade has been cancelled until further notice due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event takes place every April, and is the largest Vaisakhi parade in Canada and outside of India.

“Today’s decision follows days of extensive consultation with health officials, regionally and provincially, including the Fraser Health Authority, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the BC Provincial Ministry of Health, and discussions with organizers of other Vaisakhi celebrations around the region,” said organizers in a statement.

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“The executive of the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar made the determination that the best and safest way to proceed under the circumstances, is to cancel the 2020 event.”

For Sikhs in BC and around the world, Vaisakhi is a holy day. It commemorates the birth or establishment of Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Sikh Guru, in 1699.

Last year, over 500,000 people attended the event.