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Entries accepted for Nanaimo Heritage Days parade

NANAIMO – March or float in this year's May parade. Entries can be submitted before May 15.

Howard Lockhart volunteered to help with Nanaimo Heritage Days  last year and ended up running the parade.

“Last year I knew nothing about parades. I had to Google it: How to put on a parade. And it worked,” said Lockhart, parade coordinator, who saw about 25 entries and crowds six and eight people deep.

For the second annual Heritage Days parade on May 22, Lockhart is looking for more community involvement, including from cultural groups, but said anyone who wants to be in the parade, can.

Float entries can be submitted before May 15.

The parade made its first march last year, filling the void left by the cancellation of the Empire Days parade which had run in the Harbour City for more than a century. The long-running parade faced controversy for its use of the word 'empire.' Empire Days Celebration Society members opted to cancel the event last year and rejected a proposal for a joint venture with the city and Snuneymuxw First Nation.

The upcoming event is to celebrate the heritage of the city, said Lockhart, who isn't sure that there's parades this big that do that.

“We just want it to be a fun parade day for families and people to enjoy,” he said.

The parade begins at 1 p.m on May 22. For more on the Heritage Days weekend, or to volunteer, please visit  www.nanaimohd.com. Float entries can be submitted to parade@nanaimohd.com.