After low-key 2020, India’s Independence Day celebrations in Canada to be lively affair

The Indian-origin community in Canada is preparing for expansive 2021 Independence Day celebrations on August 15 as Covid-19 restrictions in the country have been relaxed following high vaccination levels.

The main event will be held in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) as “India Day” will be marked on Sunday with a drive-thru parade, organised by Panorama India, which is a Canada-based community body.

The “India Day” parade and celebrations were in-person events until 2019, when it attracted nearly 85,000 persons at its downtown Toronto venue.

The clock towers in the GTA cities of Brampton and Mississauga will be illuminated in the colours of the India flag on Sunday evening, as will Toronto’s iconic landmark building, CN Tower.

Last year, the parade was held entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic, but plans for this year’s big occasion are ambitious.

Organisers are expecting nearly 1,000 vehicles to participate in the drive-thru event in Mississauga, in the GTA. The event will also feature live performances depicting the culture of 21 states.

The event will also be live-streamed, with Panorama India head Sumeeta Kohli saying the emphasis is on “safety” while creating an outing experience for demographics worst hit by pandemic measures, such as seniors and children.

Kohli said the “effort” was “to bring back the feeling of live celebration and yet ensure safety and all Covid protocols”. She added they wanted to “make the first ever India Day drive thru parade a unique and special event”.

A number of cars will feature in celebrations planned in British Columbia, as the organizations – Friends of India in Canada and Gurukul Canada – are putting together a Tiranga Yatra that will feature a cavalcade of vehicles travelling from the town of Surrey to the Indian consulate in Vancouver.

Neema Manral, secretary of Friends of India in Canada, said they expected over 300 cars to participate in the rally to mark the day. “We’ve invited people from all communities and have taken police permission for the route,” she said.

Meanwhile, Calgary, in the province of Alberta, will host an in-person event dubbed India Fest at an indoor venue in the city. However, keeping Covid-related safety in mind, organisers will limit attendance to 250 people.

Principal organiser Sonia Joshi said the focus is on “freedom” this year as the community felt like hostages to the pandemic for months. The attempt this year is at “bringing us all together in a safe environment with almost all vaccinated”, she said.

Other cities will also witness celebratory events, including Montreal, where a flag-hoisting ceremony is being organised by the Canada-India Global Forum, its national president Shivendra Dwivedi said.

Montreal traditionally hosts an “India Day” parade, organised by the India Canada Organisation, which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had attended in 2017. However, festivities will be limited to a park, with attendance capped at 50 persons.