Sunshine, smiles, and springtime cheer filled the air in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood as the annual Beaches Lions Easter Parade marched down Queen Street East.
The 52nd edition of the parade took place on March 31 and was supervised by the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.
The parade route was flagged off at 2 p.m. from Neville Park Boulevard, while several families had lined up on both sides of the streets well in advance, concluding at 4 p.m. on Woodbine Ave.
The Easter Bunny was the final headlining attraction of the parade in The Beaches. Photo credit: Akhil Dalvi
For many families, like long-time Beaches resident Don Marshall, the parade holds a special place in their hearts and has been a generational event.
“I’ve been coming here since I was five years old and it has traditionally been very much consistent over the years,” Marshall said.
She said the event is great because of the same Easter rabbit that’s been a part of the parade for years.
One of the floats promoting a construction company chose a unique viking theme Photo credit: Akhil Dalvi
“Having grown up in this area, the event has become far more diverse but it’s great that I got to bring my mom, sister, niece, daughter and her friends,” she said. “My most special memory has been collecting the little candies they throw at the crowds.”
As the undisputed focus of the event, the children kept themselves entertained by playing hopscotch, rollerblading or blowing bubbles.
Adding to the charm were the street vendors who sold snacks and volunteers who were dressed up as clowns.
Stacey Anco, a student at the Toronto Metropolitan University, said she too has grown up with the parade as a child and witnessed it evolve over the years.
“Usually it was just a couple families here and there but now you see some people from all different ethnicities coming, just to watch the parade,” Anco said. “Some people are just walking by and then notice the parade.”
Families, kids and pet owners alike waited patiently for the parade floats. Photo credit: Akhil Dalvi
She said that because it gets so busy they close the streets, keeping the event local or to the greater Toronto area.
“It’s great to have people come out and support the businesses around the area, but it produces a lot of traffic and there’s always police cars running by making it difficult to gather everyone together,” Anco said.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow made a special appearance, along with local businesses and organizations showcasing their creativity with their floats, some having Viking, ballerina, karate, and gymnast themes.
Around 25,000 people were in attendance for the Beaches Easter Parade. Photo credit: Akhil Dalvi
The Toronto Beaches Lions Club ensured the event went beyond mere entertainment and used the platform to raise awareness for one of their charitable initiatives.
“It is the first time that we have incorporated one of our projects called the ‘Recycle for sight’ in the parade,” said Andy Buhot, president of the Toronto Beaches Lions Club.
“What we do is we collect used eyeglasses, process them and send them to various parts of the world where people are in need of them,” Buhot said.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also made a special appearance at the parade. Photo credit: Akhil Dalvi
He also said that an estimated 25,000 people turned up for the event along with 70 float participants, with the latter count expected to be five or six more than last year.
“Prior to Covid, we had to close to 100 participants. So we are coming back to those levels,” he said.
As the final notes of the marching bands faded and the Easter Bunny appeared, the parade showcased the diverse tapestry of the Beaches neighbourhood and community spirit from participating local schools, sports teams, and cultural groups.