REGINA — Changes have been made to parade routes in Regina following the Lapu Lapu tragedy in Vancouver.
Following a review from the Regina Police Service (RPS), Regina Fire and City of Regina staff, events will primarily stick to along Albert Street, College Avenue, Broad Street and around the legislature building.
This review has led to a new route for this year’s Queen City Pride Parade, which will now begin at 23rd Avenue and Wascana Parkway.
“There's a lot of advantages to the new route because it actually works with traffic. The streets that are chosen are chosen because they are divided. There's a center median, which creates safety. There's less cross streets, so there's less chance of somebody coming across and hitting the parade,” explained RPS Insp. Chris Jackiw on Monday.
On their social media, Queen City Pride said, “We are saddened [that] we no longer pass by certain landmarks and businesses; we are hoping this change will be exciting nonetheless.”
However, this statement isn’t the sentiment that Jackiw heard.
“I've been in communication with that person [the event organizer] quite often and shared the route so that that route could be shared with their committee, which they told me they approved of and liked.”
In speaking on the previous route, Jackiw explained the challenges of forming a parade around downtown Regina.
“It's difficult for those people who are attending the parade to find parking in the area. And then the route that the parade took was pretty impactful on emergency vehicles, getting to the hospitals, police vehicles, because major intersections were compromised and tied up by the events.”
Jackiw said these changes will balance three aspects.
“Number one is the safety of anyone that's participating, attending, viewing or watching any of that in the event. We balance out the impact on the rest of the public so that normal operations can continue, and then the resources required both from the city and the police and/or fire.”
According to Jackiw, the Khalsa Day Parade held in the city over the weekend somewhat utilized the route they intend parades to follow.
“We did have experience with them going in front of the Leg building, travelling down Wascana Parkway and then using the T.C. Douglas [Building] green space and decommissioning the parade from there.”
The upcoming Pride parade will be seen as a trial run for the success of the new routes for the future.
It’s unclear if the annual Santa Claus parade could see its route change, as they’ve yet to submit a parade permit, said Jackiw.
