Canada Day celebrations at Canada Place will this year focus on the education and celebration of all cultures and communities that call the country home, as the local First Nations gear up to lead festivities.
The Musqueam, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Tsleil-Waututh Nations have collaborated with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority for the second annual Canada Together celebration and it’s returning theme of “weaving together the fabric of a nation.”
Running from 11 a.m till 6 p.m on July 1, the 36th annual event at Canada Place will comprise the return of musical performances, a citizenship ceremony, weaving and carving displays from local First Nations artists and family entertainment via the Kids’ Zone area. The fireworks that have become synonymous with the event, however, will not make a return this year.
Dance group Tsleil-Waututh Warriors and the Squamish Nation’s Spakwus Slolem (Eagle Song Dancers) will perform on the main stage, while the North Point stage will host DJ O Show alongside a number of emerging artists.
Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams), councillor and spokesperson for Squamish Nation, said there is still “a long way to go” in terms of Indigenous communities being “accepted as equal” in Canada, but the unifying of peoples displayed at the upcoming celebrations serves as one small step in the right direction.
“There was a time where Canada imposed laws where we couldn’t celebrate who we are, where we come from, and to see that do a 180 is a huge celebratory thing that all Canadians should be proud of,” he said.
Gillian Behnke, manager, community relations and events at the port authority, said the event provides an opportunity for all Canadians to come together and celebrate the country’s “rich and diverse cultures and histories.”
“There is a lot of Indigenous content and participation, but it is also very inclusive about everything that makes up this country, and all the people that live here,” she said.
Curating an event that would balance celebrations of Canada pride with education on its Indigenous history and culture had always been important, said Behnke, but it had become a greater priority once news of the unmarked graves at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School broke in 2022.
“We knew what people had come to expect from an event on July 1 at Canada Place, but we also knew what was going on with people’s hearts,” she said.
“What we saw last year was half the people came in red and white ready to celebrate Canada Day the way they wanted to, and half the people came in orange shirts ready to honour Indigenous peoples in the way they wanted to. Everybody was there together … it was this blend.”
Since the introduction of the more inclusive programming in Vancouver, other cities across the country have begun shifting their approach, said Behnke, and she hopes the event “grows and evolves” as collaboration with the three local nations continues.
“Where it might be in five years will be very different from where it is today, and it will grow organically as we see where people’s hearts are, where their feelings are and how we want this to evolve,” she said.
For more information on the event visit canadaplace.ca
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
