After 100 years, Vaisakhi returns to Victoria

On the heels of one of the world's largest Vaisakhiparadesearlier this monthin Surrey B.C., Victoria is set to have its own Vaisakhi celebration for the first time in over 100 years.

Victoria's celebration will be held in the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood April 29, with festivitiesexpected to last all day. The parade itself will begin and end at 470 Cecelia Road, and takes place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. PT.

"I think it will become Surrey 2.0," said event organizer Jatinder Singh. "This is the capital city and it will be nice to do one here."

Singh has been volunteering his time along with a legion of CanadianSikhs ahead of the parade, which is being put on by theGurdwara Singh Sabha of Victoria.

Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi, which typically falls mid-April, to commemorate the creation of the Khalsa the collective body of observant Sikhs in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh.

The parade, which includes hymn singing, martial-arts displays and the distribution of free food, is open to all members of the public.

Jatinder Singh said the Gurdwara is aware of one previous Victoria Vaisakhi celebration in 1912. That parade took place at a time when Sikhs faced widespread discrimination in Canada.

"At the time, the Canadian government wantedSikhs to move to, I think it was British Honduras at the time," said Singh. "It was a different time.

"One hundred years later, we're living in a much more open and loving Canada, I think."

Until the 1940s and 1950s, Singh said Canadian Sikh communities were quite small. Now, there are many more Sikhs in Victoria, and lobbying efforts by the younger generation led to the weekend celebration, he said.

"Thankfully, a lot of the younger Sikhs have stepped forward to volunteer for the parade," said Singh.

Singh said he anticipates quite a large crowd. He said local business and the City of Victoriahave been gracious and accommodating throughout the planning process.

The focus of the parade this year will be the Sikh holy book, theGuru GranthSahib, consideredthe final, sovereign, and eternal living guru of Sikhism.

With files from On the Island