Nagar Kirtan parade causing some friction in N.B. town on Mother’s Day weekend

A parade celebrating Sikhism is expected to cause traffic delays in a New Brunswick this weekend.

The annual Nagar Kirtan parade, celebrating the Sikh harvest season and the origins of Sikhism, is set to roll through Shediac Bridge, N.B., this Sunday, but the event, which is expected to draw thousands, is causing some friction with local businesses and residents.

The parade, organized by the Atlantic Khalsa Darbar, will close a two-kilometre stretch of a secondary highway from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

“We’re celebrating, and almost maybe like two or three-thousand people, or maybe more, will come here from all over the eastern provinces,” said Balwant Singh, president of the Atlantic Khalsa Darbar

Last year’s parade caused traffic and business disruptions, and concerns remain.

“It being Mother’s Day, it does affect some businesses,” said Beausoleil Mayor Roméo Bourque. “The inability of emergency vehicles to enter or leave the community was a problem, and there were also questions about the permit.”

Bourque says he met with representatives of the Atlantic Khalsa Darbar and he doesn’t expect any issues this year.

“All mothers don’t want to cook,” said Woogun Choi, owner of a restaurant and store directly on the parade route. “All the people in the parade never buy anything in the store, but they use my toilets all the time. I respect the religion and culture, but at the same time, I think they also need to respect other people.”

Liberal MLA Benoît Bourque advocates for inclusivity.

“I think it’s a beautiful cultural expression of the Sikh community,” Bourque said. “We live in an area where two cultures have been living together for centuries, or actually three if you add the First Nations. So, to have other cultures integrate into our society is part of who we are.”

Singh acknowledges the concerns, emphasizing the temple now holds a permit to parade through the community.

“I tried to explain to everybody that Mother’s Day is every day, not just one day,” he said. “We are requesting everyone keep the peace. We’re going to peacefully do the parade, no issues from our side. We’re going to give priority to public safety.”

The RCMP has issued a social media advisory warning of traffic delays from 9 a.m. to noon.

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