Lower Mainland Canada Day celebrations reimagined with spirit of reconciliation | 24CA News
Thousands of British Columbians celebrated the nation’s nationwide day on Saturday.
For the second 12 months, Canada Day at Canada Place was celebrated and reimagined within the spirit of reconciliation.
Planned with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations, ‘Canada Together’ is likely one of the largest celebrations exterior of Ottawa.
Due to the port strike, the citizenship ceremony was moved from Canada Place to an workplace close to BC Place, the place 30 new Canadian residents had been welcomed.
“It’s been a long journey. I came to Canada as a student in 2013, got my education here, job here, my family here,” mentioned new Canadian Nitin Goyal. “Canada has given me loads and I’m actually proud I’m dwelling right here and that is my new residence. “
Another new Canadian mentioned this can be a day that has been marked on the calendar for fairly a while.
“I guess a lot of people don’t know the feeling when you are coming from a lot of challenges and hardship in your life and getting through this moment … I think it’s incredible,” mentioned Syed Ali Haider Rizvi.
In Vancouver’s Chinatown, the nation’s first Chinese-Canadian Museum formally opened with an exhibition commemorating the a hundredth anniversary of a racist chapter in Canadian historical past.
The authorities enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act on July 1, 1923, which successfully banned all immigration for greater than 20 years. The racist laws was abolished in 1947, paving the way in which to citizenship and the fitting to vote. A century later the Chinese immigrants who endured discrimination whereas serving to construct our nation are being celebrated on Canada day.
“We’ve come a long way as a people. I was just talking to my grandfather, he paid that head tax,” mentioned King Yee, a Chinese-Canadian Museum customer. “The Chinese community has come a long way and now we’re here celebrating. We’re all part of it (and) it’s great.”
In Mission, a Canada Day weekend powwow on the grounds of the previous St. Mary’s Residential School. It was organized by a youth-led non-profit, VYPER, with the purpose to advertise Indigenous cultural revitalization.
“My great nana Helen — she went to this residential school and it changed my family forever, it changed our history,” mentioned Helena May, a VYPER spokesperson. “We’re reclaiming our roots, taking back our history and becoming strong together.”
Back at Canada Place, there can be no fireworks Saturday evening. The Port of Vancouver cited rising prices and a “new direction” for the occasion.
“We had to make some difficult decisions and when you think of what the largest spends are and where we can better spend our resources, we decided to really create an incredible daytime event.” Gillian Behnke mentioned, a Port of Vancouver spokesperson.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has beforehand expressed his dissatisfied and is hoping the sunshine present can return within the coming years.
“Fireworks have long been a part of Canada Day in Vancouver and we’re incredibly disappointed to see them cancelled this year,” Sim tweeted on the finish of May. “We will be reaching out to the Port Authority to discuss this further and hope to see a return of Canada Day fireworks in the coming years.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
