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
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.