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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.