Calgary Nagar Kirtan brings community together for Vaisakhi celebrations

About 140,000 people gathered in northeast Calgary on Saturday for the city’s annual Nagar Kirtan procession celebrating the birth of the Khalsa, the pure.

The parade began at the Dashmesh Culture Centre and travelled through several northeast communities before ending near Prairie Winds Park.

Colourful floats, Sikh hymns and langar (free food) were part of the celebrations.Members of the Sikh community welcomed people from all backgrounds to join the event.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith alongwith her cabinet colleagues - Rajan Sawhney, Mohammad Yaseen, Myke McDougal, Chantelle de Jong and Speaker Ric McIver, attended the Nagar Kirtan and called it a beautiful event.

She thanked the Sikh community for its contributions to Alberta and said Sikhs have helped build communities in the province even before Alberta officially became a province in 1905. She also noted the event’s large attendance, saying it had surpassed the Calgary Stampede parade.

The leader of the NDP Naheed Nenshi alongwith his colleagues MLA Gurinder Brar and MLA Parmeet Boparai joined the congregation.

EMS crews and the Calgary Police Service were present throughout the event to help ensure public safety. The City of Calgary provided free transportation services for attendees. Organizers said no major incidents were reported during the celebrations.

Organizers and volunteers also carried out cleaning work throughout the parade route during the event, while many volunteers stayed behind after the weekend program to clean up the area.