Fireworks are back for Canada Day
Canada Day fireworks will be back in Calgary this year after the COVID -19 pandemic forced their cancellation in 2020.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi announced Wednesday that July 1 celebrations are on, but the city won't be hosting major events on the same scale Calgarians are used to.
But Calgary isn't among some Canadian municipalities that have cancelled or scaled down Canada Day events out of respect for the grief following the discovery of unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools. On Wednesday, leaders of the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan said hundreds of unmarked graves had been discovered near another former residential school site. More details are expected Thursday.
That discovery comes less than a month after the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found in unmarked graves near the Kamloops Indian Residential School outside Kamloops, B.C.
Nenshi said his view is that it's OK to acknowledge the work that's still needed on reconciliation while celebrating stories of success in Canada, especially for immigrants and refugees.
“There's nothing wrong with using Canada Day as a celebration but also as a moment of reflection, a moment of education,” he said.
“I think most important, let's use Canada Day this year as a commitment, as an opportunity for us to commit to the promise of Canada — to a better post-pandemic future, to true reconciliation, to move toward anti-racism.”
July 1 will also mark the first day of Stage 3 of Alberta's reopening, which means virtually all pandemic restrictions, including the cap on gathering sizes and the ban on indoor social gatherings, will be gone.
However, Calgary's mandatory mask bylaw remains in effect until at least July 5. That means people must still wear a face covering in any publicly accessible indoor space: retail stores, building lobbies and in restaurants and bars unless seated at a table.
Masks are also required on public transit under both municipal and provincial rules.
Nenshi said some precautions are still warranted next week, especially if you aren't yet two weeks past your second dose of a COVID vaccine.
“It's the first day restrictions will be lifted, and we know a lot of people will have very different feelings about this,” he said.
“Let's not go all out, but let's use this as a moment of celebration ... There won't be mass gatherings downtown. There's not a huge stage on the riverfront as there has been in years past.”
Instead, Calgarians can pick up a “fun at home” kit from any public library branch across the city, which includes items for kids such as sidewalk chalk and a beach ball.