Ready, set…graduate!?: Edmonton raceway hosting pandemic grads
The parking lot of Castrol Raceway south of Edmonton was packed Wednesday night – but it wasn’t for the typical “start your engines” event.
Instead 400 high school graduates gathered to celebrate the end of a very unusual year that saw Alberta schools modified in many ways because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students celebrating Wednesday were from west Edmonton Catholic school St. Francis Xavier.
“It’s more than nice! And it’s more than unusual!” Principal Heather Kaup said of the event that saw grads walk across the stage while parents stayed in their vehicles and honked.
For Kaup, graduations are always special, but this one was particularly relieving.
She said she was very proud of all staff, students, and administrators for dealing with a crazy year, and making it past the finish line.
“You get to see the culmination of 13 years of kids (hard work), and you actually get to see them celebrating which is something we really haven’t seen in a long time.”
Alberta’s website says as part of Stage 2 that “outdoor social gatherings” are restricted to 20 people, but “outdoor public gatherings” of up to 150 people are allowed.
Kaup said they were being very careful to distance and mask, so they didn’t violate any rules by having more than 20 people close to each other.
Distancing lines were painted on the ground and audio from the event was broadcast into cars over an FM radio channel.
Valedictorian Georgia Simkin was initially worried she might not get any grad event at all.
“It’s awesome that we can still do something,” Simkin said, agreeing with her principal that this year was rough, but memorable.
“It was hard because you’re in class, then at home. But I think everyone tried really hard to do what they could with their friends and celebrate in their own ways. I think it was special too because we were so much closer because of everything we were going through.”
St. Oscar Romero, Holy Trinity and Archbishop O’Leary will also hold their grads at the raceway this week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.