Despite the rainy weather, about 70,000 people got together at the CNE to celebrate the Sikh New Year, marking the city's annual Khalsa Day parade.
Hymns, music and prayer kicked off the march, which wound its way north through the city to Queen's Park.
The celebration also included floats, singing and martial arts performers.
Khalsa Day is a tradition that dates back to the birth of the Sikh religion. But the Toronto parade, which has humble roots and began in 1986, is now the city's third largest such celebration. Indeed, during the first year, about 2,000 people took part.
Still, this year's parade was marked by some controversy.
Premier Dalton McGuinty was asked by a small group of Sikhs not to attend the parade, because the premier had recently hosted an Indian politician who was indicted on allegations of taking part in the 1984 Sikh riot.
McGuinty, who wore a customary orange bandana for the event, said that he attended to show his support for the community.
"We are at our best when we're together," he said.
Additionally, Toronto police maintained tight security during the march.
Earlier this week, B.C. Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh received threats through a Facebook page called "Ujjal Dosanjh is a Sikh Traitor."
One commenter wrote that "someone shoot him asap."
The parade also follows an April 18 incident at the Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Centre in Brampton, where some people held aloft knives and hatchets. A brawl ensued and assault charges were laid in the case.
Earlier in the month, lawyer Manjit Mangat was stabbed at a Sikh temple in Brampton.
Still, for the thousands who assembled downtown, the event is about unity.
Organizer Gobinder Randhawa said that the celebration is about sharing.
"This is a day of sharing our values with other Canadians," he told CTV Toronto's Galit Solomon.
