'There's some anxiety': Alberta health minister and family swarmed on Canada Day
Protesters surrounded Alberta's health minister, his wife and two young sons Thursday at the conclusion of a Canada Day parade in Calgary and a celebration of the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions.
Tyler Shandro's wife Andrea was in tears and the minister held one of his sons close, putting his hands over his ears while a handful of protesters screamed profanities and insults.
"Lock Shandro up," yelled one man.
"You've destroyed thousands and thousands of Alberta lives," said another.
The abuse was directed at Shandro's sons as well.
"Sorry buddy but your father is a war criminal."
Shandro eventually handed his children over the chain link fence to onlookers.
"I took Tyler's son across the fence and brought him in here because he was crying. You don't do that to children," said Gary Vegelis.
"That's a lack of respect. Tyler, whether you agree with what he does or not doesn't matter. It's been tough on everybody. I've had friends who died during COVID and we're going to live through this. We're going to go on."
Shandro spoke briefly to reporters after the incident.
"I think it's an unfortunate way for people to be expressing their opinions today. This is a day for happiness and celebration, a day for family so it's an unfortunate way for them to be expressing that," he said.
"I think obviously throughout the pandemic there's been a lot of high emotions from folks on both sides of the political spectrum."
Shandro spent a few moments after the event hugging his family.
"There's some anxiety on that, for them to hear people believing some of the misinformation about vaccines is unfortunate and to hear the way that it was expressed today was unfortunate."
Premier Jason Kenney took part in a short Canada Day parade before driving to deliver a few remarks and slap an Open for Summer sign on a banner.
"On Canada Day we should be grateful and I want to say we should be grateful to Albertans. Thanks to their diligence. Thanks to 73 percent who have been vaccinated today. Alberta is open. Open for summer," Kenney said.
A man and woman shouted profanities at him during his speech, putting their middle fingers in the air. The man warned two police officers not to touch him when asked to step back.
Vegelis approached the duo and told them their behaviour and language in front of children was unacceptable before being given the finger himself.
"You have the right to protest but with respect and dignity and we don't have that," he said. "The language they were using was inappropriate."
Alberta's reopening means no more caps on indoor and outdoor social gatherings, in restaurants, stores and places of worship. The entire province, with the exception of Calgary, is also lifting its mask mandate.
As the restrictions lifted, a group that's defending a Calgary pastor who has been in remand accused of flouting Alberta's COVID-19 health orders says he has been released.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms said in a statement that Timothy Stephens of Fairview Baptist Church was let out of the Calgary Remand Centre early Thursday, where he's been since June 15.
The group also said chains have been removed from Fairview Baptist Church, as well as GraceLife Church near Edmonton, and that the buildings are being returned to their congregations.
GraceLife pastor James Coates spent a month in the Edmonton Remand Centre after he violated a bail condition not to hold church services that officials said were ignoring COVID-19 measures.
Some Albertans, like W.K. Lim, who was enjoying Canada Day at the Alberta legislature grounds with his family, and Brian Mappleback, who was also at the legislature, were still wearing masks and felt the removal of restrictions came too soon.
"More people are getting their second (vaccine) doses. I'll probably hold off over the next three weeks and see what happens," Mappleback responded when asked when he'd consider ditching his mask.
But Allie Voyageur, who was maskless while enjoying the sun in Edmonton on Thursday, said she was "very pumped" the restrictions were over.
"With the hot weather and everything, you can smell the fresh air, see everyone's smiles, and it's summertime, so it's very exciting," Voyageur said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.