Edmontonians mark Canada Day by celebrating and reflecting
From drumming circles, charity runs, to a healing walk, Edmontonians found a way to celebrate their country or reflect on its past in a manner that felt right to them.
After two years of pandemic pivots, different groups returned to in-person celebrations to mark Canada Day.
A healing walk took place in recognition of Canada's dark history with residential schools and to champion the continuing work that needs to be done to heal from that past.
"There's a lot of people who don't celebrate Canada Day, especially in our Indigenous communities," said Jasmine Babee, an organizer of the event. "Canada Day means unity to me. At the end of the day, we're all part of the same tribe, the two-legged tribe.
"So it's just about being kind to one another and understanding each other," Babee added.
People participate in a healing walk on Canada Day at the Alberta Legislature grounds on July 1, 2022 (CTV News Edmonton/Jessica Robb).
"We're getting asked harder questions and having more challenging dialogue with people who are asking for recognition and reconciliation," said Erin McDonald, Legislative Assembly of Alberta visitor services manager.
"And this is an important part of our work as Canadian citizens," McDonald added. "Here today, we'd like to celebrate both Canadians who have come here and Indigenous peoples who have been here for some time before them."
People participate in a healing walk on Canada Day at the Alberta Legislature grounds on July 1, 2022 (CTV News Edmonton/Jessica Robb).
Across the grounds, the Canada Day Road Race returned, giving hundreds of people the opportunity to run or walk while raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
Joan Radford, race director, said the iconic event has run for more than 30 years and represents a tradition for many families to give back.
"Everybody's so keen and eager to be back," Radford said. "It's heartfelt for me."
This year the event featured a 10-kilometre and five-kilometre lengths and a 2.5-kilometre course around the legislature.
"I've been race directing this for 25 years, and I see a lot of the same faces," she added. "I see people wearing shirts from five or 10 years ago.
"It just makes me feel really great that people are coming out and wanting to celebrate, start their Canada Day with a healthy approach."
A unique event at West Edmonton Mall combined various cultural demonstrations to showcase different ethnicities calling Alberta's capital city home.
Chinese lion dancers and drummers, Japanese Taiko drummers, and others drummed for six minutes to signify unity, said Donald Yu, Edmonton Branch president for the National Congress of Chinese Canadians.
"(We are) all coming together to drum for peace, love, respect, unity, and diversity," Yu said. "Any culture has drumming. We put all these drummers together to share that."
"It's so important that we get everybody to join us to project the Canadian theme of living in harmony and peace," Yu added.
Youth take part in a drumming demonstration at West Edmonton Mall on July 1, 2022 (CTV News Edmonton/Brandon Lynch).
At the Ahmadiyya mosque, a BBQ and prayer service was hosted to mark Canada Day — one of many events at other mosques across the country.
"(We are) celebrating Canada Day by showing love for Canada," said Nasi Butt, an iman. "This is very, very essential to keep ourselves united."
"We are very, very much thankful to Canada," Butt added. "Different people, different communities are coming here... to celebrate Canada Day together."
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi attended the event and said whatever way Edmontonians are marking Canada Day, they all represented a way to come together as one community.
"It's a very special day, where we come together celebrating who we are as people and reflect on the history of this country," the major said.
"It's an opportunity for all of us to come together to celebrate our diversity and how we're working together in our city to build a better, inclusive city," Sohi added. "An Edmonton for all of us."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.