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Mar 16, 2021 8:27 PM - Pervez Sandhu - Connect News Team

COVID-19 restrictions force cancellation of Vaisakhi Khalsa parade in Surrey, B.C.

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File - The COVID-19 pandemic has forced cancellation of what organizers say is the world's largest Vaisakhi Khalsa Day parade in Surrey, B.C. (Photo - B.C. NDP)

For the second year in a row, Surrey’s Vaisakhi Khalsa Day Parade – considered the world’s largest with more than 500,000 spectators annually – has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organizers at Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar confirmed the April 24 event will not proceed in order to comply with provincial health orders restricting mass gatherings. Vaisakhi, which marks the creation of the Khalsa in 1699, is the most significant day in the Sikh calendar.

Parade spokesman Moninder Singh told Connect News Team that families will celebrate in smaller, private ways this year. “The community spirit remains strong. We look forward to welcoming people back to the streets when it is safe, hopefully in 2022.”

Health officials have repeatedly cautioned that large cultural festivals remain among the highest-risk events during the pandemic. The Fraser Health region – home to Surrey – has reported some of the province’s highest case counts, reinforcing the decision to cancel one of Metro Vancouver’s largest annual events.

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