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To celebrate Canada Day or not? That’s the question facing municipalities across Saskatchewan this July 1.
With calls to cancel Canada Day altogether in the wake of the horrific findings at residential schools across Canada — first in Kamloops, B.C. and most recently here at home, near Cowessess First Nation — some places are using July 1 as a day of reflection or reconciliation.
650 CKOM and 980 CJME spoke to numerous cities and towns across the province Monday to find out what exactly would happen in their areas this Thursday.
On Friday, Melville city council decided to postpone all Canada Day events.
Located about 145 kilometres northeast of Regina, Melville is about 64 km north of Cowessess First Nation and the residential school site where 751 unmarked graves have been detected.
“We are the neighbour; Cowessess (is) very close to Melville,” Mayor Walter Streelasky said Sunday.
“They attend our businesses, the rec facilities, hospitals … In respect of our neighbour and the fact that this horrible event occurred years back, we decided that we could not celebrate Canada Day as a day of celebration.
“This is just too difficult (and) heart-wrenching.”
The city of around 4,500 had planned a citywide Canadian yard decorating contest, fireworks and a parade.
When Streelasky thought of participating in the 2021 parade, he knew the events could not go on.
“Normally, (I’d) be in the car with my wife Caroline, we’d wave to people, and so on. This, I could not do,” he said. “My community cannot celebrate when our neighbour is grieving.
“We just want to do the right thing.”
Instead, Melville will hold a “cross-cultural” celebration this summer, part of the motions passed at its emergency meeting Friday.
Streelasky said he doesn’t feel as though the municipality is being a leader in cancelling celebrations for 2021. Instead, he reiterated that this decision was “the right thing” to do: “We want to take care of our neighbour.”
Yorkton, which is just over 40 km east on Highway 10 from Melville, won’t be holding any celebrations either.
Mayor Mitch Hippsley said typically, celebrations would be held by local community groups. This year, there won’t be fireworks or a parade. Instead, the city is asking residents to take a moment to reflect or use the time as part of reconciliation.
Wadena announced on its Facebook page that it too wouldn’t be holding celebrations Thursday.
Out of respect for our Indigenous Community, Town of Wadena Council and Staff have decided to cancel the Canada Day…
Posted by Town of Wadena Parks & Recreation on Monday, June 28, 2021
Fort Qu’Appelle, situated in the Qu’Appelle Valley on Highway 10, also has decided to postpone Canada Day this year. On July 31, it will host a fireworks display and parade.
Mayor Gus Legace said the farmers market will also not run on Canada Day this year, but will be back up and running Saturday.
Meadow Lake said it doesn’t hold celebrations in the city each year, but instead on the neighbouring Flying Dust First Nation.
This year, those celebrations were cancelled.
Prince Albert will continue with virtual celebrations, but nothing in person. North Battleford plans to hold its fireworks display, weather permitting, but other events will take place online.
The same goes for places such as Humboldt and Weyburn.
Humboldt said it will pay its respects to the Indigenous community by changing its canopy lights to orange, placing teddy bears on doorsteps and lowering its flags to half-mast. In Weyburn, the front windows of City Hall have been painted orange.
A handful of other municipalities haven’t yet responded to calls seeking details of their Canada Day plans.
— With files from paNOW.com and battlefordsNOW.com
