The 125th edition of the Victoria Day Parade on Monday will see extra security measures aimed at ensuring the safety of thousands of participants and tens of thousands of spectators.
The additional safety efforts come in the wake of last month’s attack in Vancouver at the Filipino community’s Lapu Lapu Day festival, where 11 people were killed when a vehicle was driven through the crowd.
Kelly Kurta of the Greater Victoria Festival Society, which organizes the parade, said there have been meetings with local officials about safety issues.
“We’re grateful for the support of the City of Victoria and the Victoria police,” she said. “They are assuming the lead in all safety and security measures and planning.”
The festival society bills it as the longest running parade in North America, with last year’s edition attracting a crowd estimated at 80,000.
Kurta said the 2025 Thrifty Foods Victoria Day Parade will be one of the largest in years. The parade, also sponsored by CHEK TV, starts at 9 a.m. Monday at Douglas and Finlayson streets and winds up at Douglas and Courtney streets, lasting about two-and-a-half hours.
Along the way, spectators will see close to 4,000 participants — up from the annual average of around 3,200 — involved in about 100 entries.
Victoria police are warning about traffic disruptions during the parade, and said that both officers and reserve constables will be along the route to ensure a safe, family-friendly event.
The police department’s new drone, used last weekend at the Buccaneer Days Parade, will be in use Monday.
The festival society said it has been working with Universal Group traffic services, and has hired additional traffic personnel and vehicles to monitor the main road-closure areas, Kurta said.
Extra measures were also taken Saturday during the fourth annual One World Multicultural Festival, a popular pre-parade event presented by Dodd’s Furniture & Mattress and the festival society. Organizers arranged for Dodd’s trucks to be parked at both ends of a closed section of Belleville Street in front of the legislature. The gathering was dedicated to the B.C. Filipino community and the Victoria Filipino-Canadian Association. The association will be in the Victoria Day Parade, along with a group from the Victoria Filipino-Canadian Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Another pre-parade staple is today’s annual performance by American marching bands on the legislature grounds, running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stages Academy of Performing Arts will be part of the entertainment from 1 to 1:45 p.m.
Kurta said the number of American marching bands taking part in the parade is down this year, with only five instead of the usual 10 to 12.
She said she believes the drop is due, at least in part, to travel concerns linked to the ongoing tariff dispute between Canada and the United States.
The American visitors making the trip to Victoria include the Ingraham High School band from Washington state, which has been a perennial entry for about 50 years, Kurta said.
Current band leader Shane Henderson “does not miss a year,” she said.
“He’s pretty remarkable.”
Local school bands in the lineup are from Reynolds Secondary and Belmont Secondary, while the Mennonite Educational Institute band is coming from Abbotsford.
Kurta said one of the featured entries — at least for younger spectators — is Paw Patrol characters Marshall and Skye.
She said some of the money given to the festival society by the City of Victoria was used to get Paw Patrol in the mix for the first time.
“We are very excited about it.”
Victoria council added $25,000 to the parade budget last month.
The Paw Patrol entry came about because the characters were already scheduled to be in the province at the Cloverdale Rodeo, Kurta said.
Among the array of floats are visiting entries from the Penticton Peach Festival and the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society.
Heading the procession will be Sidney town crier Kenny Podmore, enjoying his last hurrah after announcing his retirement in 2024 following 32 years of service in the role.
Following the town crier, the 35-member Naden Band heads up the parade’s military contingent.
The Naden Band has been in its lead role since the parade’s inception.
At the rear of the pack will be That Bubble Guy, aka Dave Wilson, known for creating huge bubbles to enthrall the kids.
Back again just before the parade will be the Douglas Mile, a mile-long run/walk starting from Douglas and Burnside at 8:30 a.m. and finishing at Douglas and Pandora.
Held in support of Parkinson Wellness Projects, the run/walk will include 60 participants from age 15 months to 73 who are part of Heather McEwen’s 60 for 60 fundraising initiative — marking her 60th birthday the day before.
McEwen will lead the group along Douglas, and hopes the entire amount raised from the Douglas Mile will reach $75,000 for the Parkinson Projects’ free services for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
Donate at parkinsonwellness.ca/events.
> CHEK-TV will broadcast the parade starting at 9 a.m. Monday.
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