Police Share Safety Tips for Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade
Every April, millions of Sikhs world-wide celebrate Vaisakhi Day, a day that marks the establishment of the Khalsa order by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (10th Sikh Guru) in 1699. Considered one of the most important days in the Sikh calendar, Nagar Kirtans (community religious parades) celebrating the event are held in Sikh communities around the world.
The largest Vaisakhi Parade in the world occurs in Surrey, where approximately 500,000 people attend the annual Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade.
Surrey Police Services will be supported by officers from several other Lower Mainland police agencies and integrated units, to provide public safety support and traffic control for the Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Paradeon Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Police want to remind the public that during the Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) will be in effect. This means that there will be a restriction on the use of drones and other remotely piloted aircraft systems in the event area. These restrictions are being implemented to support public safety operations and to ensure the safety of parade participants and spectators. Unauthorized drone use during the parade is prohibited.
Every year, police respond to reports of missing children and elderly persons during Vaisakhi celebrations. Large crowds can make it easy for people to quickly become separated, so advance planning is essential.
Safety tips for families and groups:
Take a group photo before arriving at the Parade to help identify missing loved ones if needed.
Review the Parade route and surrounding areas and choose a pre-arranged meeting location.
Ensure everyone carries identification; place contact information in children’s pockets or shoes.
Keep a recent photo of your child with you.
Keep children within eyesight at all times.
Notify the nearest police officer immediately if someone goes missing.
Leave pets at home, as crowds and noise may cause distress.
City Council on Monday unanimously approved a motion requesting B.C.’s Inspector of Municipalities to hold a public inquiry into concerns related to governance and accountability within Metro Vancouver regional entities. “This is not about politics. It’s about accountability,” Mayor Locke added. “No public institution funded by taxpayers should be beyond scrutiny. If Metro Vancouver’s governance is sound, a public inquiry will confirm that. If it is not, the public has every right to know, and reforms must follow.”
The motion cites concerns regarding financial stewardship, fairness to member municipalities, the withholding of important financial, engineering, environmental, and other records from Surrey-appointed board directors, wasteful use of corporate assets, and compliance with legal and contractual obligations.
The motion also requests that the Inspector’s review extend not only to the broader conduct at issue, but also to any bylaws, decisions, and actions of the Metro Vancouver Regional Board, the Greater Vancouver Water District, and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District that may have furthered those matters. The motion further requests that Metro Vancouver pay the costs of the inquiry.
April 14, 2026
The Terminator DOUG Is Back
Former Surrey mayor DOUG MCCALLUM has thrown his hat back into the mayoral race in Surrey.
All municipalities and cities in British Columbia go to the polls In October to give councils a new 4 year mandate.
MCCALLUM joins the list of already announced mayoral and slate candidates headed individually by LINDA ANNIS, MIKE STARCHUCK and BRENDA LOCKE.
- Two community members appeared before council with concerns of increasingly exterior lights on condos and houses.
- New Westminster Labour Council / Day of Mourning for workers injured on the job will be held in New Westminster April 28.
- Update on food cart program on our waterfront this summer. Council members asked staff to revisit the program to encourage a South Asian food cart be added to the mix.
- Corporate report on Westcoasters Car Club car show part of this year's 75th annual Sea Festival. Council unanimously approved using the three lots on West Beach from Oxford to Bay view street to host hundreds of vintage, custom cars and hot rods.
- Pickleball Fees for Centennial pickleball courts will now be in place. The White rock Pickleball association will pay a small annual fee in order to regulate use of the pickleball courts in Centennial Park.
- Traffic calming on Marine Drive between Cypress Street and Finlay street. This spring engineering will install split speed cushions as an interim traffic calming solution to speeding along Marine Drive.
- White Rock financial plan 2026-2030 First, second and third reading
- Proposal for Official Community Plan Amendment was approved 4-3 with Mayor Knight and councillors Cheung and Lawrence voting in opposition. Staff will now take the council recommendations for density changes, create a report bring it back to council for approval, and then schedule another and hopefully final Open House for community feedback.
- Hogg Park Community Garden / request for staff report on feasibility approved. Initially staff informed council just to have water back on the city property would run over $50,000.00
April 12, 2026
Semiahmoo Mall To Open UPCC Urgent Primary Care Centre
Residents of south Surrey and surrounding communities have improved access to timely, team-based care with the opening of a new urgent and primary care centre (UPCC) on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
“People living in the fast-growing community of south Surrey will have more access to urgent and primary care at this new centre, helping them get the right care in the right place,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This new UPCC will expand community-based health care and help to reduce wait times at emergency departments, so people get the timely care they need closer to home.”
The UPCC at 1711 152 St. will provide urgent primary care from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily, including statutory holidays. It will accommodate approximately 57,000 patient visits annually with care delivered primarily through in-person visits and virtual care provided as needed.
Communities will benefit from clear, province wide conduct rules for local leaders.
The Province has introduced legislative amendments that would allow it to establish a mandatory, province wide code of conduct for all local elected officials in B.C. with clear processes for complaints, investigations and sanctions. Conduct issues can include bullying or harassment in meetings, harassment of staff or disrespectful behaviour between elected officials that can make governing a community challenging.
“While many local governments have conduct codes today, they are not consistent across jurisdictions and often lack clear steps to address conduct issues,” said Brittny Anderson, Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities. “Once in place, a provincial code of conduct will ensure all local elected officials are held to the same ethical standards across B.C., help avoid dysfunction at the local level and improve fairness and public trust in local governments.”
The posted signs along Crescent Beach still clearly state NO DOGS allowed along the beach area walkway between May 15-September 15. The official announcement below gave dog owners hope they would be able to walk their dogs along the beach in the summer months.
With roughly a month to go Surrey has not released the results of its pilot program study they conducted last year.
Dogs at Crescent Beach
Surrey Council voted Monday, June 23, 2025 to endorse a pilot project that allowed on-leash dogs on Crescent Beach's walking path, on weekdays only (excluding Statutory holidays). The pilot project is now complete. City staff is preparing a report based on the findings of the pilot project for council consideration.
Dogs at Blackie Spit
Dogs are also welcome in areas of the neighbouring Blackie Spit Park, located to the north of Crescent Beach.
Blackie Spit Park has parking, its own beach access, a trail system and two dog off-leash areas, including the only dog off-leash swim area in Surrey.
You can use this fenced swimming area when the tide is in, so check before you go and ensure your dog doesn’t enter the adjacent Environmentally Sensitive Area.
A live web cam on an eagle's nest in California allows us to watch two baby eagles take on the world.
TNT The Naked Truth
April 13, 2026
Don Pitciarn
I'm going to be very blunt and to the point on this. A city must be able to follow the rules it has set out in its policies and on its website. It cannot have one set of rules of conduct for its residents and somehow ignore the rules it has previously set for itself. A city cannot blatantly lie to its residents and have staff misleading councillors or withholding information from then. White Rock has enough problems with an area of two square miles, only 22,000 people, issues with City Hall staff retention and a tax base reliant on residential properties. If they cannot run White Rock like a functional city and follow the rules it has set for itself, then maybe the time has come after nearly 70 years to end the charade and rejoin Surrey. Don't worry, White Rock will still be White Rock, just like Crescent Beach is Crescent Beach and Ocean Park is Ocean Park. The difference is having a functional civic government that does not say one thing while doing another.
