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What an odd state of affairs we discover ourselves in when the announcement that Calgary can have a Canada Day fireworks present constitutes breaking and important information.
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Underneath extra regular — and arguably preferable — circumstances, such a declaration can be innocuous and unremarkable. What a humiliation to the Metropolis of Calgary we as a substitute have this fiasco.
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Sure, the excellent news is that the fireworks will go forward. However, identical to the choice to cancel them, the choice to reinstate the fireworks was not made by elected metropolis councillors. No matter one thinks of both resolution, this isn’t how such issues must be determined.
It’s not nearly fireworks. Events might be marked, honoured and celebrated in different methods. However the cancellation of the fireworks present within the title of “cultural sensitivity” represents a extra important resolution about the way in which during which Canada Day is to be celebrated or whether or not it must be celebrated in any respect. That’s not one thing to be left to unelected metropolis corridor bureaucrats.
The unique resolution to cancel the fireworks and cut back the Canada Day celebrations was introduced by the town 12 days in the past. Though it wasn’t council’s resolution, some on council defended the adjustments, together with Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner went even additional by stating {that a} reversal of the choice “can be upholding colonialism and racism.”
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Such sturdy phrases will need to have appeared fairly jarring to those that have been wanting ahead to the fireworks show and have been dismayed to study of the cancellation. To use such a detrimental connotation to an affinity for a time-honoured custom is barely fostering additional division. Canada Day belongs to Canadians of all races and backgrounds. Loving and celebrating one’s nation isn’t the unique area of anybody group.
Nevertheless, now that the town has reinstated the fireworks, is the councillor now ready to accuse the exact same bureaucrats she had been defending — or her colleagues on metropolis council who supported the reversal of the choice — of “upholding colonialism and racism?”
It took a complete week earlier than the choice was reversed. Within the intervening seven days, the pushback from Calgarians grew and the story began to garner nationwide headlines. Greater than 12,000 individuals signed an on-line petition calling on the fireworks present to be reinstated.
Final Thursday turned out to be an eventful day.
First, we realized that 10 members of metropolis council had come collectively to co-sponsor a notice of motion calling on the town to reinstate the fireworks present. That discover of movement was to return up later this week on the metropolis’s govt committee assembly. However simply hours after that got here the announcement from the town that there’ll certainly be a fireworks show on Canada Day.
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That call might render the discover of movement moot, nevertheless it additionally denies Calgary’s elected representatives to lastly be heard on the matter. It as soon as once more takes the matter out of their fingers. If metropolis administration believed in a sure plan of action right here, then a advice might have been made to council and council might have voted. Happily, we no less than have tangible proof {that a} majority of these on metropolis council have been on the aspect of widespread sense prevailing.
This nation will not be excellent, however a celebration Canada Day is hardly a declare on the contrary. Having satisfaction within the values and beliefs of Canada doesn’t in any manner preclude us from having a reckoning with our previous or from addressing the issues of as we speak.
How does remodeling Canada Day from a celebration into one thing sombre and subdued accomplish something? Happening such a path may simply show to be counterproductive.
Both manner, Canadians and our elected representatives deserve way more of a say. Might the remainder of the nation study from Calgary’s unlucky misstep.
“Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge” airs weekdays from 12:30 to three p.m. on QR Calgary and a couple of to three p.m. on 630CHED
Twitter: @RobBreakenridge
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