OHIO’S CAPITAL STOPS OBSERVING COLUMBUS DAY
The largest U.S. city named for Christopher Columbus called off its observance of the divisive holiday.
Ohio’s capital city was open for business Monday, the Columbus Day holiday marking the Italian explorer’s arrival in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492.
Instead Columbus city offices will close on Veterans Day, which falls on Nov. 12. The decision to stop observing the holiday was not triggered by the national movement to abolish Columbus Day in favour of Indigenous Peoples Day as a way of recognizing victims of colonialism, said Robin Davis, a spokeswoman for the mayor. “We have a number of veterans who work for the city, and there are so many here in Columbus,” Davis said. “We thought it was important to honour them with that day off.”