196 replies to this topic

[LJ]

Why would you bother putting something in place to be an outside urinal when you have the whole street at your feet?

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria Day Parade route shortened as part of safety changes

The length of the parade route will be cut from four kilometres to 1.6 and it will follow the same route as last year’s Santa Claus Parade.

https://www.timescol...hanges-12173790

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 April 2026 - 04:36 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The parade has been going for 125 years. We should not accept having higher security requirements. There is no evidence to support a need.

About 300 people per year are killed in car crashes each year in BC. The 11 killed at the event in Vancouver does not represent any additional security risk.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 April 2026 - 04:54 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Kurta said adding ­infrastructure like fencing, ­barriers and more digital ­signage, and providing safety training to volunteers, is not cheap. She said the new ­security measures and other ­requirements have added about $21,000 to the cost of the ­Victoria Day Parade this year, and $16,000 to the cost of last year’s Santa Claus Parade.




All this stuff should be provided in-kind.

[Victoria Watcher]

Also as I said with Canada Day, Splash and other items, there should be a way for the general public and businesses to donate. Why not? You have 125 years of tradition and good will. Turn that into 5,000 annual small donors.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 April 2026 - 05:02 AM.

[Mike K.]

Why is this being announced so suddenly? Buccaneer Days just cancelled their parade the other day.

How long have the new requirements been known?

[spanky123]

Government and Wharf are much narrower than Douglas, especially with all of the bike lane stuff. Not only will there be less space for visitors with the shortened route but it may tight for some of the bands and larger floats.

The City announced $700K and presumably $200K a year in tax exemptions to bail out a developer but can only come up with $13K for the parade?

[mbjj]

This is really sad. I've been going to that parade since the 1960s. My great aunt and uncle lived on Speed Ave. so we used to park there and walk along to where Paul's was. Where will they assemble this year? So of course this is the first year our granddaughter has been old enough to appreciate it, and people will be so squeezed into such a small length will anyone get to see anything? 

[Blair M.]

The very heart and soul of the Victoria Day Parade for over two decades was its greatest champion and chairman, Ron Butlin. 

 

Ron passed away around 10 years ago, and the parade has slowly and steadily declined in stature ever since his retirement and passing - to the point where we find out now that the 2026 parade is only going to be a few blocks long, and not even a shadow of what long time Victorians considered one of the grandest parades to be seen anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. 

 

Yet another spike to the heart (and nail in the coffin) of downtown Victoria.

[Victoria Watcher]

Thousands of people are expected to attend the sixth annual Khalsa Day Celebrations in Victoria, which is taking place this Sunday, April 26.

The celebration includes a procession at 10 a.m. departing from 470 Cecelia Rd., as well as nearly 50 stalls showcasing Sikh history, music, martial arts, kids games, free food and more.


https://cheknews.ca/...ctoria-1320543/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 April 2026 - 05:45 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Khalsa Day parade tomorrow (1.59km):

 

 

Victoria Day parade in May (1.6km):

 

 

(different scale)

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 April 2026 - 03:03 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

She said the City of Victoria decided to change all parades to the new route to make them safer and easier to manage.

 

Victoria police have said the new route is safer and better for spectators.

 

The city said in a statement that the new route had a trial run with the 2025 Pride Parade last July and was successfully used again for the Santa Claus Parade in November. Moving to a ­standardized parade route helps city ­departments and parade ­organizers “anticipate ­operational supports required to facilitate a safer, more-efficient operation from year to year,” the city said, adding it also helps prevent situations involving “hostile” vehicles.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...hanges-12173790

 

 

 

 

 

What will happen with the truck parade?  It travels over 10km through the CoV. 

 

We should push back on the beaurocrats and politicians that do this to us.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 April 2026 - 07:23 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

 

Do these races require cars or trucks parked at every intersection for safety?   Lots more runners on the course than there are parade people.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 April 2026 - 03:01 PM.

[mbjj]

That parade route is awful! I can't imagine where we'll go this year with a child in a stroller. There will be so many people crammed into a small space. I can't believe it's come to this after watching this parade for 60 years. Will those large American bands even fit on those piddley streets?  Also just that much farther for us to walk down there. 

[Victoria Watcher]

Kurta said she expects this year’s parade to be smaller, down from 98 entries in 2025 to about 75.

The narrower route was a factor for some entries that aren’t coming, she said, including a motorcycle group that performs precision moves.

She said the society is trying to arrange for a larger set-up area at the parade’s start, since some entries require space to set up their floats on the day of the event. “They can’t drive it in from the ferry terminal with everything on it.”

The current planned marshaling area is about one-third the size of the area available at the former marshaling one in the Mayfair mall parking lot, Kurta said.

https://www.timescol...e-year-12223770

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 May 2026 - 12:50 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Comment: Local governments should step in to save events

 

While challenges exist, local governments are uniquely positioned to step in to keep these events alive and running safely.

 

Matt Dell

 

https://www.timescol...events-12284399

 

 

It's your own government and police department forcing up these costs or making organizers change.  Just back off.  We don't need to throw more tax money at it.

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, Today, 07:02 AM.

[Mike K.]

Local governments are always uniquely positioned when it comes to finding ways to increase taxes.