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
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
LGBTQ2S+ rallies to be held across Canada, billed as largest since marriage equality
Organizations across the country are gearing up for what they describe as the largest LGBTQ2S+ mobilization since the push for marriage equality.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.