B.C. premier advises against cancelling Canada Day festivities
A day after Victoria cancelled its Canada Day celebrations, B.C. Premier John Horgan says he does not want other cities to follow suit.
“The intent, I can understand,” says Horgan. “The 21st of June, National Indigenous Peoples’ Day, would be a more appropriate time for us to collectively focus on how we can redress the wrongs of the past, and build a brighter future together.”
Victoria city council voted unanimously this week to abandon virtual Canada Day festivities, following the discovery of children's bodies on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps says local indigenous groups have since pulled out of participating in this year’s Canada Day events.
“Right now, the Lekwungen nations are grieving, so it’s very difficult for them to come and sing and dance and celebrate," Helps told reporters.
CTV News has reached out to multiple cities across Metro Vancouver to see whether their Canada Day plans will be cancelled or modified in any way. So far, the City of Surrey has replied, saying their virtual event will go ahead as planned. Details of the event could not be offered yet, but a spokesperson says they’ve planned the event with the help of a First Nations consultant and this year’s headliner will be Indigenous.
The Port of Vancouver operates the large-scale annual Canada Day celebration at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver, and says it will have an update on this year’s event soon.
“Following the devastating discovery of the remains of more than 215 children at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School, we are reviewing our July 1 programming to determine the best way forward,” the Port of Vancouver says in an emailed statement to CTV News.
“I don’t believe we’re at a part where we can be celebrating,” explains Dakota Bear, a Vancouver-based Indigenous rights activist with Idle No More, a group promoting the #CancelCanadaDay campaign on social media.
Bear is helping arrange multiple rallies across the country for July 1, including in downtown Vancouver. The aim is to highlight injustice and inequality faced by Canada’s Indigenous communities, rather than marking confederation.
“We’re going through so much. We don’t have proper infrastructure for water, missing and murdered women and girls, the lack of proper shelter in our communities.”
But as chatter of cancelling Canada Day continues online, it’s not a sentiment held by all Indigenous peoples. Liberal MLA Ellis Ross shared his thoughts on Twitter, saying “Don’t cancel Canada Day. Can you imagine how significant it would be for First Nations and non-First Nations to be together on this day? We need this as part of our collective healing.”
Musqueam Indian Band member Wade Grant echoes those sentiments, saying “Cancelling Canada Day will further divide us. Let’s use the day to educate about the mistakes of the past and commit to making Canada better.”
Back in Victoria, council plans to collaborate with local indigenous groups later in the summer to produce a one-hour broadcast on what it means to be Canadian.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.