The 2007 Nanaimo Empire Days Parade
Nanaimo boasts the oldest annual continuous celebrations of Victoria Day without a break in the entire Commonwealth! In the early days of Nanaimo, people took a half day off for May Day and a full day off for Queen Victoria's birthday on 24 May, 1819. The May Day celebrations were later amalgamated into the Victoria Day or Empire Day celebrations. This was a patriotic holiday, as Canada Day is now. The earliest known record of our Nanaimo Victoria Day celebrations was in the British Colonist (now known as the Victoria Times-Colonist) newspaper of 30 May, 1863.
***JUST CLICK ON THE SLIDESHOW BUTTON TO VIEW A SLIDESHOW OF ALL THE IMAGES IN THIS GALLERY***
Nanaimo boasts the oldest annual continuous celebrations of Victoria Day without a break in the entire Commonwealth! In the early days of Nanaimo, people took a half day off for May Day and a full day off for Queen Victoria's birthday on 24 May, 1819. The May Day celebrations were later amalgamated into the Victoria Day or Empire Day celebrations. This was a patriotic holiday, as Canada Day is now. The earliest known record of our Nanaimo Victoria Day celebrations was in the British Colonist (now known as the Victoria Times-Colonist) newspaper of 30 May, 1863.
***JUST CLICK ON THE SLIDESHOW BUTTON TO VIEW A SLIDESHOW OF ALL THE IMAGES IN THIS GALLERY***
The City guys get the parade route ready that morning
The City guys get the parade route ready that morning
in this box:
