Mayor Nenshi says Canada has 'a lot to atone for,' but shouldn't impact July 1
While some communities are deciding to pack up their plans for a Canada Day celebration to respect reconciliation, Calgary's mayor says the event will go ahead.
However, it is not known exactly what form the city's July 1 celebration will take.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi made the comments while speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, saying that he knows Canada has "a lot to atone for" in relation to the residential school program, but that shouldn't affect celebrating the nation's birth.
"I remain deeply committed to the idea of this country as a place where every single person can live with dignity and a life of opportunity," he said.
Nenshi says that is what Canada Day is for – celebrating that fact among your fellow Canadians.
"Every year at Canada Day, I spend time in a grand entry for a massive powwow at Prince's Island Park where Indigenous people come and have a great powwow and non-Indigenous people learn about the culture."
That inclusion of First Nations culture in the event is "exactly the right thing to do," Nenshi says.
"There is a lot to celebrate and if we can change that to not just a celebration but to a commitment to change, I think that's a lot better than saying, 'No fireworks because bad things have happened.'"
Last week, the City of Victoria announced it was postponing its Canada Day festivities in light of the discovery of the remains of hundreds of children who attended a former residential school near Kamloops, B.C.
Lisa Helps, Victoria's mayor, said "everybody is reeling" from the situation.
Instead, it would be broadcasting a feature on Canadian history with a focus on First Nations people.
Meanwhile, B.C. Premier John Horgan advised against other centres cancelling festivities, pointing instead to June 21, which is National Indigenous Peoples Day, as a better date to reflect on the wrongdoings of the past.
There are no details on when Calgary's announcement will be made this week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, pleads guilty in sports betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud Wednesday in a sports betting case where prosecutors allege he stole US$16 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.