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
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
BREAKING Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.