'You unite together': Khalsa Day parade brings thousands to downtown Toronto
Khalsa Day, also known as Vaisakhi, marks the Sikh New Year along with the establishment of the Sikh community all the way back in 1699, according to the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwaras Council (OSGC).
The annual parade along Lake Shore Boulevard has become one of the biggest events in the city since it began in 1986, according to the OSGC. People flocked the streets waving the Sikh flag, with a marching band playing tunes accompanying large vehicles adorned with colourful decorations.
"We have a very rich and very brave history," said Manjit Parmar, an event co-ordinator for the OSGC.
"Inclusiveness is a big part of Sikhism and that's what we are here to celebrate along with everybody else in Toronto," he said.
Tajinder Singh, who made his way from Brampton for the parade, says this day always feels special because of how it brings people together.
"When you leave your country and when you're in Canada, this is very important. You unite together," he said.
The parade started from the Canadian National Exhibition at 1 p.m. as the large group made its way east to city hall, where dignitaries addressed the crowd.
Those who didn't attend the parade might have had a hard time navigating around the city as there were several street closures across the downtown core.
Portions of Lake Shore Boulevard West, York Street, University Avenue and Queen Street West were closed until the late afternoon, with Queen Street West remaining closed between Bay and York Streets until 9 p.m., according to police.
The parade comes just a day after an SUV slammed into a crowd at the Filipino Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, killing 11 people and injuring multiple others.
In a post to X, Toronto police said "our priority is to maintain a safe environment for everyone. Officers will be present to provide security, manage traffic, and support this important cultural celebration."
Parmar said they were in constant touch with police throughout the day and were told there were no threats. As of Sunday afternoon, police reported no incidents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
4 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Preet Rai: I survived the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Forty years later, I still remember the fire — and the kindness
Forty years ago, in the streets of Delhi, I faced something I never imagined possible. As a young man preparing for my chartered accountant exams, I narrowly survived one of the darkest chapters in modern Indian history: the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Today, living in B.C., I feel compelled to share this personal story. It's not just about survival, but also about the responsibility to remember, reflect and remind the next generation of the perils of unchecked hatred. On Oct. 31, 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. What followed was organized violence. For days, mobs stormed through Delhi, targeting Sikhs. Thousands were killed, homes and businesses were looted and burned, and families were torn apart. I was hidden by Hindu friends who risked their own lives to protect me. Without their courage, I wouldn't be here today. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. There were no mobile phones, no social media — only whispers and rumours. I remember watching from a rooftop as flames consumed neighbourhoods. I saw people dragged from buses and trains, beaten and burned. I saw humanity at its worst and, in small, precious acts, at its best. My family was scattered across northern India. My mother, a teacher, was returning from a school trip in Himachal Pradesh with Sikh children disguised as girls to escape detection. My sister was stranded with a basketball team in another state. My father, an army officer posted in Jammu, managed to protect his region from violence. But he couldn't shield us all. For days, none of us knew who was alive. Eventually, I made it to Chandigarh by train, hiding my identity. The journey was six hours, but it felt like an eternity. Every footstep in the corridor could have meant death. When I finally saw my uncle waiting at the station, it was the first time I felt safe. After the riots, I returned to Delhi. But it wasn't the same. The dhaba I once visited daily was gone — its owner killed, his family missing. On buses, people stared. The city, once vibrant and familiar, felt cold and alien. Why share this now? Because memory fades, but the consequences of forgetting are dangerous. We live in a country that values multiculturalism and inclusion, but those values require vigilance. Hatred doesn't need much to ignite. Today, I see echoes of that past when communities are pitted against each other, when online misinformation spreads unchecked, when silence follows injustice. That is why I speak up — not out of anger, but out of duty. I urge young Canadians: engage with your community, volunteer, speak up when you see injustice. Support those who are vulnerable. Join boards, councils, advocacy groups. Be present. Because the line of people asking for their own blessing is long. The line of those asking for the community's blessing is short. And if the community is blessed, so are you. We owe it to the past to remember. We owe it to the future to act. Preet Rai is a resident of Abbotsford. He is a survivor of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and works for the provincial government in the Finance Ministry and has been a school trustee in Abbotsford for six terms since 2008.
Calgary Herald
14-07-2025
- Calgary Herald
Edmonton police chief backs province's call to label Bishnoi Gang 'terrorist'
Interim Edmonton Police Chief Devin Laforce said the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) appreciates the province's call for the federal government to designate the India-based Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist organization in Canada. Article content 'Edmonton is not immune to the impacts of transnational crime. We agree with the Government of Alberta that this designation will provide the EPS and its law enforcement partners with enhanced powers and investigative tools that will help us continue to dismantle organized crime groups and criminal activity on our streets,' Laforce said in a statement to Postmedia on Monday. Article content Article content Article content The alleged extortion ring operating in Edmonton, B.C. and around the country is a terrorist organization, Premier Danielle Smith and Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said Monday, calling on Ottawa to call the 'global and violent' group a terrorist organization. Article content The leader of the northern India-based gang has been imprisoned in India for 11 years, but is still suspected of pulling the strings on a transnational criminal network responsible for violence, extortion, drug trafficking and targeted killings, including in Canada, the government statement said. Article content Alberta Justice stands with B.C. Premier David Eby and other officials across Canada in calling for immediate federal action, the statement said, calling on the federal government to use every tool available to dismantle the network and keep Canadians safe, adding that gang activity knows no boundaries and respects no borders, and Alberta wants to send a clear message that it's not welcome here. Article content Article content 'Formally designating the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity will unlock critical powers, allowing provincial and municipal-level law enforcement agencies to access the necessary tools and resources needed to effectively disrupt operations and protect our people,' Smith said, adding that South Asian communities in Alberta have been disproportionately targeted and affected by the gang. Article content Article content Links to Bishnoi are suspected in the case of the June 18, 2023, murder of Surrey, B.C., Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Article content Nijjar was shot and killed in his pickup truck as he left the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., touching off a wave of protests and rallies from local communities against diplomats from India. Article content He was the president at the gurdwara where he was killed. Nijjar also campaigned for a separate Sikh homeland in India — also known as Khalistan — and organized unofficial referendums around the world about Punjabi independence.
Edmonton Journal
14-07-2025
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton police chief backs province's call to label Bishnoi Gang 'terrorist'
Interim Edmonton Police Chief Devin Laforce said the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) appreciates the province's call for the federal government to designate the India-based Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist organization in Canada. Article content 'Edmonton is not immune to the impacts of transnational crime. We agree with the Government of Alberta that this designation will provide the EPS and its law enforcement partners with enhanced powers and investigative tools that will help us continue to dismantle organized crime groups and criminal activity on our streets,' Laforce said in a statement to Postmedia on Monday. Article content Article content Article content The alleged extortion ring operating in Edmonton, B.C. and around the country is a terrorist organization, Premier Danielle Smith and Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said Monday, calling on Ottawa to call the 'global and violent' group a terrorist organization. Article content Article content The leader of the northern India-based gang has been imprisoned in India for 11 years, but is still suspected of pulling the strings on a transnational criminal network responsible for violence, extortion, drug trafficking and targeted killings, including in Canada, the government statement said. Article content 'Its reach is global, and its intent is criminal and violent,' said the joint statement. Article content Alberta Justice stands with B.C. Premier David Eby and other officials across Canada in calling for immediate federal action, the statement said, calling on the federal government to use every tool available to dismantle the network and keep Canadians safe, adding that gang activity knows no boundaries and respects no borders, and Alberta wants to send a clear message that it's not welcome here. Article content Article content 'Formally designating the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity will unlock critical powers, allowing provincial and municipal-level law enforcement agencies to access the necessary tools and resources needed to effectively disrupt operations and protect our people,' Smith said, adding that South Asian communities in Alberta have been disproportionately targeted and affected by the gang. Article content Links to Bishnoi are suspected in the case of the June 18, 2023, murder of Surrey, B.C., Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Article content Nijjar was shot and killed in his pickup truck as he left the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., touching off a wave of protests and rallies from local communities against diplomats from India. Article content He was the president at the gurdwara where he was killed. Nijjar also campaigned for a separate Sikh homeland in India — also known as Khalistan — and organized unofficial referendums around the world about Punjabi independence.
