B.C. premier brushes off yoga event criticism
Some of the
VANCOUVER critics opposed to the closure of a major Vancouver bridge for International Yoga Day are “haters” of the practice, B.C. Premier Christy Clark says.
The premier announced last week that the Burrard Street Bridge would close for several hours on June 21 for the international event.
Criticism quickly followed in local media and social media — her plan even drew the ire of children’s author Raffi Cavoukian.
Clark has posted a photo on Twitter of her standing outside a Taoist Tai Chi office accompanied by text that says: “Hey, Yoga Haters — bet you can’t wait for international Tai Chi day.”
She has also told reporters that similar events are taking place in New York’s Times Square, at the Washington Monument and across India.
Clark is questioning whether her critics would be complaining if the bridge were shut down for a ballhockey tournament or marathon.
“There are thousands of people, many of them women, who find peace in their day by doing yoga, and I think it’s a little puzzling to see so many people criticizing something that people do, that thousands of British Columbians do every day to find a little bit of peace in their lives,” she said.
“I think that’s something in a province, where we care about good health and well-being, that we should be celebrating.”
But First Nations groups are planning to crash the yoga party.
The Om The Bridge event coincides with National Aboriginal Day, and groups unhappy with that are asking people to protest the event.
Several pages have been set up on social media calling for a peaceful disrup- tion of the mass yoga class with signs, singing and drumming.
“Be an ally on National Aboriginal Day. Hold space for Indigenous people, who continue to be systemically ignored, by crashing (Premier) Christy Clark’s yoga party,” one organizer wrote on Facebook.
Responding to questions about her tweet in Victoria, Clark said it was a joke.
“That was a bit of self deprecating humour,” she said. “We are celebrating National Aboriginal Day, absolutely we are. We’re also celebrating Father’s Day in my household and we’re also celebrating the United Nations day that was designated for International Yoga Day,” she said.
Critics of the event are also opposed to the bridge closure, and the estimated $150,000 cost to taxpayers.