'Tell the full story': How some local communities are reimagining Canada Day celebrations
Communities in Waterloo region are reimagining Canada Day to be more inclusive and to honour Indigenous peoples.
Organizers of Canada Day in Wilmot said they worked with local Indigenous leaders to develop the plan for their festivities this year.
The event will begin Friday morning at 6 a.m. with an Indigenous sunrise ceremony led by an Indigenous Elder. In the afternoon, at the opening ceremonies, the national anthem will be sung in both English and Cree. In the evening, during the firework show, the creation story will be read out loud.
“We have Indigenous-focused in the morning, in the middle, and at the end of the day,” said event organizer Angie Hallman, explaining the structure is like the Métis infinity symbol.
Hallman said it’s important to honour Indigenous peoples.
“We can’t do reconciliation without truth, so [we’re] going forward together and choosing whatever Canada feels like to you, we encourage people to just come as you are and let go forward together. ”
WATERLOO PLANS EVOLVE
In Waterloo, the city will be hosting its first in-person Canada Day celebration.
Usually, the University of Waterloo puts on the Canada Day event at Columbia Lake, but the university is longer hosting.
The City of Waterloo said to differentiate itself from UW’s event, it is not calling the celebration Canada Day, but instead the July 1 Community Picnic.
Festivities will take place at Waterloo Park, where there will be live music from local artists, food, games, and a LED light show to end the night.
The city said it wants to be more mindful of Canada’s history, which is why an Indigenous art installation, called Hope and Healing Canada, will also be on-site.
“It uses large knit and crochet pieces to illustrate the connection between people and their environment, and to promote dialogue, questioning the connection between Indigenous, Inuit, Metis and settlers,” said Lakyn Barton, festival and events specialist with City of Waterloo. “You can look through and see the sky and it’s about changing the lens in which you’re viewing the land.”
Barton said it’s important to understand that Canada Day is not a celebration for everyone.
“To be respectful and to honour that pain,” she said. “So we’re trying to shift our event to talk more about what do we have locally and how do we propel these conversations forward.”
RECOGNIZING 'SHORTCOMINGS'
The Anishinabek Nation, a political body that represents First Nations across Ontario, said it encourages Canadians to reflect on the history of the country.
Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe said Canada Day is often a somber day for Indigenous people, as it brings up the dark history.
“The Indigenous history, it’s been erased for so long, or forgotten for so long, or suppressed for so long. It’s important now to have that included to tell the story of Canada and tell the true story of Canada,” he said. “That’s the only way we can progress together in reconciliation. If there is true reconciliation, then we do need to recognize the shortcomings that exist now and have existed in the past.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.