It appears there will be a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Charlottetown this Sunday after all.
The parade is not officially associated with the Benevolent Irish Society (BIS), but will see a number of individuals that still want to march show their support for Ireland.
Gene Dowling, organizer of the cancelled parade, said individuals are planning to meet at the Murphy Centre on Richmond Street at 2 p.m.
“We want as many as possible, we are going to walk the streets and show our support for Ireland and everything that’s perfect about it,” Dowling said in an email to the Guardian.
Dowling noted that people don’t have to be Irish to take part in the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
The BIS has hosted the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Charlottetown for more than 35 years.
However, it was announced earlier this week the executive committee made the decision to call off this year’s parade.
BIS president George O’Connor had said the group planned to review the parade for this year but never got around to it.
He said the review will be done before next year’s parade to make the event bigger and better.
Other St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are set to go forward as planned, with Irish-themed pubs — the Olde Dublin Pub and the Old Triangle — planning a full day of entertainment Sunday.
Other bars will be open earlier Sunday, with entertainment all day, special foods and, of course, green beer.
Alfredd, the BIS is indeed a volunteer organization, and an excellent one. There is wonderful entertainment at the BIS hall pretty well every weekend. They also assist with many charities, and give unselfishly of their time. St. Pat's day is the premier event of the year, and the parade is a big part of it. The parade is not a new event , and is not that different from year to year. "... not got around to it" just doesn't sound right for such a good organization.