[UPDATED] The only Victoria Day Parade Norm Dyson’s mother ever missed was the day he was born — 65 years ago Monday.
“My mother didn’t miss a parade in her life,” Dyson said. He now maintains the tradition on his birthday.
As a toddler Dyson went to the parade with his mom, Margaret Dyson, and five siblings. First she took the kids to the Woolworth five-and-dime store on Douglas Street (now a McDonald’s restaurant and Chapters bookstore) where she would buy each child a box of Cracker Jacks and a Canadian Red Ensign flag.
As a young teen, Dyson was part of the parade, performing in the Colquitz and Mount View school marching bands.
And on Monday, on his 65th birthday, Dyson proudly drove the float for Butchart Gardens, where he is on the board of directors. The Butchart float was a 1926 Model T car replete with a spare horse from the garden’s Rose Carousel.
“She just loved the parade,” Dyson said, choking back tears as he remembered his mother and her excitement around the parade. His father also participated as part of the military.
“It was endless excitement,” Dyson said.
The Island Farms Victoria Day Parade brought out an estimated 50,000 Monday and was deemed a smashing success by organizer Ron Butlin. “I think it’s the best one of the 21 parades I’ve done,” Butlin said. “I thought there was such good coverage by a variety of entries and the music was wonderful.
“It was a very lively morning,” said Butlin. He hasn’t decided if this is his last parade or if he will carry on organizing the massive event next year.
The thousands who lined the parade route included newbies like Hunter Larkin, 14 months old, and veteran parade-goers including Gale Cauvin, 66, who has come out to watch the parade for about 30 years.
The parade, in its 116th year, was helped by blue skies and sunshine with just enough wind to keep the crowds comfortable. On some parts of the Douglas Street route, people were three and four rows deep in lawn chairs, and crowds were standing at intersections.
“The police estimated 50,000 to 55,000,” Butlin said.
“The whole parade route was packed. There was no room on the sidewalks. And the weather was absolutely ideal for the parade. We were so lucky.”
The first musical entry of the day was the Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific.
“It’s a thrill to be in front of everyone … representing to the navy and the Canadian Armed Forces … and to play music,” said Petty Officer David Gagnon.
The first school marching band in the parade was Belmont Secondary Marching Band from the Sooke school district.
It was an especially nice honour given it was the newly formed band’s first time in the parade. “We’re just really excited; it’s a new experience,” said student Deanne Webber.
Co-conductor Mandart Chan said for him, seeing the band participate is the culmination of a dream to create a marching band and a nice way to bring the West Shore’s fine arts into the Victoria parade. Co-conductor Glenn Whitney said it was daunting for the students to rehearse in isolation, only to arrive on parade day to see how big the event really is — there were 18 American marching bands from California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho (one scheduled band could not make it).
Another six Canadian marching bands were in the mix.
Games 2U — Victoria, a Saanich mobile entertainment outfit, was the last on the list of 141 groups in the parade. Their bus, decked out with four 60-inch flat screen TVs used for interactive video games, turned onto the parade route at 11:55 a.m. and finished up at the Inner Harbour just before 1 p.m.
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2014 Island Farms Victoria Day Parade, judging results
American drill teams (population over 1,200): Kamiak High School
American drill teams (population under 1,200): Shorewood HIgh School (also judged the best overall drill team); Sultan High School; Aberdeen High School.
American band winners (population over 1,200): Las Plumas High School; Mercer Island High School; Shorewood High School.
American band winners (population under 1,200): Aberdeen High School; Mount Baker High School; Chimacun High School.
Canadian drill teams: Reynolds Secondary School; Spectrum Secondary School; Lambrick Park Secondary School.
Canadian bands: Reynolds Secondary School; Spectrum Community School; Burnaby North High School.
Drum majors: Aberdeen HIgh School; Hoquiam High School; Olympic High School.
Performing acts: Viva Mexico; Falun Dafa Association; Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association.
Walking groups: Victoria Filipino Association; Khalsa School; Victoria Hindu Parishad.
Cars - antique: Century Toppers Rod and Custom; Westshore Towing; Western Command.
Cars - racing: Old Time Racing Association
Cars - decorated: Accent Inns; The Skam; Blue Bird Cabs
Cars - decorated - community: Victoria German School; Elks Lodge; Rotary Club
Floats - commercial: Galey Farms; Country Grocer; Frog Box
Floats - community: Falun Dafa Association; Mexican Canadian Association of Victoria; Panorama Recreation Centre
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Participants in the Island Farms Victoria Day Parade, in order of appearance, provided by parade organizers
1. CFB Esquimalt
2. Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific
3. Canadian Forces Fleet School Esquimalt
4. Victoria Naval Reserve Division —HMCS Malahat
5. 5th (B.C.) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
6. 39 Service Battalion Victoria (11 Service Company)
7. Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary)
8. Korea Veterans' Association
9. South and Mid Van Island Zone of the Royal Canadian Legion
10. Lower Mainland Zone of the Royal Canadian Legion
11. Army, Navy, Air Force Veterans — Colour Party
12. Sea Cadets
13. Army Cadets
14. Air Cadets
15. Navy League Cadets — Marching Unit
16. Ashton Armouries vehicles
17. Navy Recruiting Bus
18. Town Criers — City of Victoria
19. Greater Victoria Muscular Dystrophy Association
20. Western Command Antique Military Vehicle Preservation Society
21. Victoria Fire Department Historical Society
22. B.C. Ambulance Service
23. Victoria Emergency Management Agency
24. Ace Mascot — Saanich Police
Highlands Volunteer Fire Department
25. Island Farms Daisy Float
26. Island Farms Carriage
27. Belmont Secondary School
28. Lions Club — District Governor
29. Sooke Lions Club
30. Clowns Are Us
32. Elks Lodge
33. Dodd’s Furniture
34. Kentridge High School
35. B.C. Aviation Museum
36. Jesus Rocks! Ventures
37. Chimacum High School
38. Victoria Brain Injury Society
39. Mercer Island High School
40. Monarchist League of Canada
41. Harbour Air Seaplanes
42. Victoria Irish Dancers
43. Kentlake High School
44. Nurse Next Door
45. Victoria Filipino Cdn Association
46. Hoquiam High
47. Greater Victoria BMX Association
48. Westcoast Motorcycle Ride to Live
49. West Seattle High School Marching Band
50. Budget Rent a Car Victoria Ltd.
51. B.C. Ambassador Program
52. Sammamish High
53. Mexican Canadian Community Association
54. CBC Radio
55. Shorewood High School
56. Victoria Korean Community Association
57. Ocean 98.5/103.1 Jack FM
58. 5940 Newport Dr.
59. Aberdeen High School
60. CFAX/KOOL FM
61. Panorama Recreation Centre
62. B.C. Transit
63. Falun Dafa Association of Vancouver
64. Frogbox
65. St. John Ambulance
66. Experience Cycling ltd
67. Camp Pringle
68. Salvation Army
69. City of Langford Trolley
70. Kamiak High School
71. Viva Mexico! Folklore Dancers Association
72. Habitat for Humanity Victoria
73. Puerto Vallarta Amigos Food Truck
74. Khalsa School Surrey
75. Las Plumas-Oroville High School
76. Heritage Dancefest
77. Cowichan Lake Lady of the Lake
78. 100.3 The Q the Island Rock
79. The Zone @ 91.3
80. Mount Baker High School
81. Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
82. ALS Cycle of Hope
83. Theatre SKAM
84. Sultan High School
85. Victoria Motorcycle Club
86. Adrena Line Zipline Adventure Tours
87. Yes 2 SCS
88. The War Amps
89. Old Time Racers Association
90. B.C. Sheriff Services
91. German Auto Import Network
92. Hungry Rooster Food Truck
93. Canadian Cancer Soc./Cops for Cancer
94. Klamath Union High School
95. i2i Intergenerational Society
96. India Canada Cultural Association
97. North Thurston High
98. Gizeh Shriners of BC & Yukon
99. Camp Narnia
100. Miss Vancouver Island
101. Turkish Cdn Friendship Society
102. Olympic High
103. Sons of Norway
104. Freedom Rent-to-Own
105. Westshore Rebels
106. Township of Esquimalt
107. Westshore Towing
108. Galey Farms
109. Squalicum High
110. Ingredients Café & Market
111. Thrifty Foods
112. Victoria Hindu Parishad
113. Child Find B.C.
114. White Eagle Polish Association
115. MEI Screaming Eagles
116. Century Toppers Car Club
117. Victoria German School
118. Reynolds Secondary School Marching Band
119. Kaleidoscope Theatre Production Society
120. Yellow Cab of Victoria
121. 888 Junk Car Removal
122. Lambrick Park Secondary Band
123. The Butchart Gardens
124. CVS Sightseeing
125. Island Savings Credit Union
126. Burnaby North Vikings Marching Band
127. Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society
128. Rotary Club of Greater Victoria
129. Greater Victoria Scouts
130. World Children’s Summit on Peace & Nature
131. Spectrum Community High Marching Band
132. B.C. Corrections Provincial Honour Guard
133. Victoria Humane Society
134. Country Grocer
135. Bellevue High School
136. Bluebird Cabs Ltd.
137. UPak Mobile Storage Ltd
138. Paparazzi Nightclub
139. Lure Restaurant & Bar
140. Accent Inns & Hotel Zed
141. Games 2u Victoria
