Ukrainian group says including Russia at Heritage days would send 'a disturbing message'
Members of the Ukrainian community are asking that Russia be excluded from the 2023 Edmonton Heritage Festival.
Friday, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council (UCC-APC) said in a press release that it's concerned about the inclusion of Russia while the county is engaged in "flagrant violations of international law."
"Allowing the Russian community to partake in the festival without acknowledging the atrocities committed by their government is a disservice to the victims of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and sends a disturbing message that the festival supports or condones such actions," the release read.
Orysia Boychuk, UCC-APC president, said the Ukraine pavilion has approached the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association twice since March about the Russia pavilion's participation.
"They have indicated that no final decision has been made, and that it will occur [in the] middle of June," she added. "So we're extremely concerned about this whole situation."
Boychuk said excluding Russia this year would be in line with the decision by the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festival and Folks Art to suspend the memberships of Russia and Belarus.
"It's really hard to understand where they're coming from and why they would be willing to support the pavilion this year," Boychuk said. "It really would violate the values and the principals of the Edmonton Heritage Festival."
Organizers of the Russia pavilion decided not to attend the 2022 festival in-person, but the country did participate virtually and said at the time it hoped to return in 2023.
Boychuk said that decision was dignified and showed respect, and the Ukrainian community understands not all people with Russian heritage support the war.
"They have come forward and they have expressed that, and they have attended our rallies," she added. "And we appreciate that."
However, given Russia's violations of international law and amid accusations of war crimes in Ukraine, Boychuk said it's not an appropriate time to celebrate the country.
"I think there are ways that the Russian community can participate and that is to show their solidarity," she said. "But to showcase their culture and be proud of their culture at this particular time, it makes it very challenging for our community."
On Monday, Edmonton Heritage Festival Association said the board is meeting with key stakeholders to discuss the matter, and a decision will be announced "within the next few weeks."
"We respectfully acknowledge the real concerns expressed by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council," the board wrote in a statement. "We are committed to ensuring a safe festival environment for our pavilions, staff and volunteers, and the public."
The Russian Heritage Cultural Development Association said an application has been submitted to participate in the festival but the group did not want to comment at this stage.
"We’d be happy to discuss our participation later, once we finalize everything on our end," a representative told CTV News Edmonton on Monday.
The Edmonton Heritage Festival will run Aug. 5 to 7 at the Edmonton Exhibition Lands.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Dave Mitchell
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.