Diversity and harmony celebrated at first Heritage Festival since pandemic delays
The Heritage Festival returned for the first time since 2019 to complete the August long weekend in Edmonton.
The three-day outdoor event celebrates cultures from across the globe who call the city home.
“This is one of the most important events in Canada,” said Jim Gibbon, executive director for the festival.
“So many cultures come together and we do it in peace and in harmony.”
Gibbon said the festival hit its targeted attendance: half of a normal year’s turnout.
Tony Surtida from the Philippines pavilion told CTV News Edmonton that the smaller crowds didn’t put a damper on the event.
“It’s always a good thing when you run out of food,” Surtida said. “It means people are buying your stuff.”
“It’s a real privilege to be able to show that we are from a different country and we share their heritage and culture,” said Polish dancer Francis Bobiarski.
“We bring it into Canada and help make it more unique – more diverse and really add to what makes Canada so great.”
Premier Jason Kenney was in attendance on holiday Monday. He enjoyed some dishes prepared by countries represented at the festival and cultural performances.
“Canada is unique. Alberta is unique with our model of pluralism. That’s what Heritage Fest is all about,” he said.
“Alberta is open for summer. We are coming back together as a community.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.