Queen City celebrates Canada Day without pandemic restrictions for first time in two years
The COVID-19 pandemic hindered Canada Day celebrations for the past two years. But on Saturday, the red and white was back in full force in Regina with events all around the city.
The legislative grounds hosted many for Canada’s 155th birthday. Residents attending the events on the grounds who spoke to CTV News said they were excited to be back celebrating with other Canadians.
“Just to see people from all different walks of life celebrating who they are in a country that’s welcome and opening; that’s what it means to be Canadian,” said one Regina resident.
Others at the park were new to Canada. Manish Paneva moved to Canada with his family from India just a week ago and are already celebrating their first Canada Day. He said Canada has been welcoming to his family.
“We’ve really enjoyed it here so far,” he said. “We’ve been [at the legislative grounds] all morning and we got to explore almost everything. [My daughter] doesn’t want to go home, so we’re just waiting for the fireworks.”
At Government House, Lt. Governor Russ Mirasty hosted his first Canada Day celebration in his role, which was delayed by the pandemic. The event promoted Regina’s multiculturalism with performances from Chinese lion dancers and Ukrainian dancers.
“It’s great to be able to bring people from diverse backgrounds together and think about what Canada means to them both individually and as a community,” he said.
Buffalo Day returned for its second year to Buffalo Meadows Park in north central Regina to honour first nation’s culture. Children painted buffalo on the street and a powwow was held.
Organizers said the new tradition is acknowledging Canada’s past and is one of the ways citizens can participate in reconciliation.
“It’s a celebration of our culture and it’s a showing of resiliency,” said Saskatchewan Treaty Commissioner Mary Musqua-Culbertson. “We should be having all people no matter race, religion or creed, coming to celebrate resiliency, celebrating and honouring first nations traditions and powwow.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.