Canada Day celebrations returned to Regina this year after a three year hiatus due to COVID-19.
It was a Canada Day full of fun, food, performances and a love for the country. Hundreds of people lined the areas by the legislative building in Wascana Park on Friday to take in the festivities.
One of those attendees was Daniel Schmidt, who says he was having an incredible time.
“I’m hanging out, enjoying some sun, enjoying some festivities, this is a fantastic celebration,” Schmidt said.
The delay in public celebrations has made this year’s bash an above-and-beyond effort. Carrie Hackel, the director of marketing and communications for Regina’s Canada Day committee, says there were hurdles to bring this year’s celebration to life.
“Unfortunately, over the last couple of years we lost over half of our committee, so we’ve all had to do extra duties this year to pull things together,” Hackel said. “We’re just really happy that families can come out and just have a really enjoyable day.”
That happiness is echoed by Schmidt.
“It’s been crazy, but the nice thing about being out now for Canada Day is that we’re in public with everybody just enjoying Canada Day and celebrating, it feels fantastic…it almost feels like a new experience,” Schmidt said.
The day was packed with fun for the whole family. Attendees were treated to performances ranging from concerts, to dance performances to magic shows.
The streets were also lined with many vendours and food trucks with a variety of different options, such as barbecue, hot dogs, ice cream and slushies.
But for some, Canada Day had a more important meaning than simply taking part in fun activities. On a day set aside for patriotism, it’s important to remember Canada’s Indigenous history and the reconciliation efforts being made.
Evan Whitestar, the Indigenous advocate from Mother Teresa Middle School, along with other Indigenous students from the school, were invited to Wascana Park to put on a First Nations drumming and dance performance as a part of the day’s festivities.
“We’re choosing not to celebrate Canada Day and recognize or acknowledge all the genocie it took, but we’re choosing to recognize our resilience as a First Nation community,” Whitestar said. “We found our education, along with our culture and identity through our hallways and we’re choosing to embody what we want to be.”