More Canada Day festivities cancelled in B.C. following residential school discovery
With Canada Day just over a week away, two more B.C. municipalities have opted to cancel their festivities following the discovery of more than 200 children's remains at a former residential school.
On Friday, Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki issued a statement saying the city was "not able to offer Canada Day activities that we consider appropriate," especially with COVID-19 measures still in place.
"Out of respect for Indigenous communities across Canada who are grieving, it is important to Penticton city council that this year’s Canada Day activities honour the history, culture and traditions of Indigenous people," he said, saying "time constraints" were also an issue.
"We encourage you to spend the day with your family and take time to reflect on Canada’s history and consider what we can each do to work towards an inclusive community."
And on Monday, the District of Port Hardy made a similar announcement.
"In light of the findings from Tk'emlúps te Secwepemc, Kamloops Residential School the District Council has decided not to hold an official Canada Day this year," the northwestern Vancouver Island municipality wrote.
"We encourage you to reflect and remember in your own way with your loved ones."
They aren't the first municipalities in the province to change their Canada Day plans.
A couple weeks ago, Victoria announced it's no longer hosting the virtual Canada Day celebration it had planned. Instead, it'll create a broadcast later in the summer with guidance from local Lekwungen people.
The city says the broadcast will be released later in the summer and will consider "what it means to be Canadian."
"Context changed when those 215 children's bodies were discovered and they (the Lekwungen Nation) are reeling and everybody is reeling," said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps earlier this month. "We're all just doing our best to figure out how to move forward."
But following that announcement, B.C.'s premier suggested other Canada Day festivities should still go ahead.
"The intent, I can understand," Premier John Horgan said the day after Victoria's decision. "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."
In Kelowna, Canada Day festivities have also been cancelled but organizers suggest the decision is primarily because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Festivals Kelowna posted a notice last Thursday saying its event, which typically attracts 65,000 guests, "requires a longer lead time than is currently available to us."
"After such a tough year for our local restaurants, breweries, and wineries, we believe Canada Day presents a great opportunity for them to shine and welcome guests to their venues," Festivals Kelowna organizers said.
The earliest more restrictions will be lifted in B.C. is July 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.