Organziers have cancelled the 2020 Surrey Vaisakhi Khalsa Parade until further notice due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic.
Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, organizers of the annual parade, state that they, "made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event until further notice or a significant change in the transmission of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic."
The event, which is the largest Vaisakhi Parade in the world, was scheduled to take placce in Surrey on April 25. It draws in excess of 500,000 guests across cultures and religions.
Organizers state that the decision was made following an 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. The executive of the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar determined that the best and safest way to proceed under the circumstances, is to cancel the 2020 event.
Event organizers also extend gratitude to the community for its, "overwhelming support in making this decision."
The annual Vaisakhi Khalsa Day Parade in Surrey celebrates one of the most significant days in the Sikh calendar, the creation of the Khalsa in 1699.
