Victoria Day Parade route, operational costs changing to meet safety guidelines

As event organizers strengthen safety measures, the Victoria Day Parade in B.C.’s capital city is following a shorter route than usual this year.

Monday’s parade route is 1.6km long, instead of the usual 4km.

The Greater Victoria Festival Society (GVFS) organizes the parade and other local events. GVFS executive director Kelly Kurta said the route has been altered to increase safety and decrease demand on policing resources.

“Many people think that … because the route has been shortened, that our cost is less,” Kurta told CTV News.

“But because of the additional logistics and equipment that we’ve been advised that we need to have now, our costs per parade are about an additional $20,000.”

She said the increased costs come from new traffic control, fencing, and training requirements, along with marketing costs to advertise route alterations.

The changes come as event organizers across B.C. step up safety protocols in response to last April’s attack at the Lapu-Lapu festival in Vancouver.

The deadly attack prompted the province to commission a review of public safety at community events, which resulted in several recommendations.

B.C.’s Public Safety Ministry said the recommendations aren’t mandates, but some local governments and police departments are establishing new rules to improve event safety.

“We’ve had … guidelines and risk management and risk assessment in place for decades, and now there’s an expectation for those to be raised—and they should be raised,” Kurta said.

She said new standards come with new costs. Government grants could help parade organizers meet new expectations, she said, as some can’t cope with increased costs in an already-challenging economy.

“I don’t want to see us lose any more of our really special events because if we lose those, we lose the heart of who we really are,” Kurta said.

In Greater Victoria, the Oak Bay Tea Party cancelled its annual parade, citing new safety guidelines, rising operational costs, and a shortage of volunteers.

Esquimalt Buccaneer Days cancelled its parade too, also blaming new safety requirements and a lack of volunteers.

The Downtown Victoria Business Association is cancelling its Lights of Wonder winter event due to a lack of sponsorship and aging equipment.

“Things will come back,” DVBA CEO Jeff Bray said.

“People love their events, and the public supports them by coming out, but they are going to have to be adjusted over the next couple of years as we navigate economic challenges and various other things.”

Kurta said last year, the Victoria Day Parade had an economic impact of $6.54 million over three days.