Canada Day celebrations are returning after two years of reduced celebrations over the COVID-19 pandemic, but some Canadians hoping to catch a traditional parade may be out of luck.
Several cities say rising security and insurance costs, in addition to funding problems, are forcing them to rethink their celebrations.
There will be no Canada Day parade in Montreal for the third year in a row, and this time COVID-19 is only partially to blame.
Read more: Atlantic communities prepare for Canada Day after the break
Organizer Nicholas Cowen says that while the new coronavirus is a major problem, the Federal Heritage Department is offering less funding for a year when inflation is at its highest level in decades.
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“The parade receives a grant, so it’s a lot like getting a check for the same amount every year,” he wrote in an email. “This year, funding had to return to 2015 levels at 2022 prices.
Parade Executive Director Caroline Polczak explained in an interview that the price of insurance has risen along with almost everything else – to the ingredients of the large, traditional cake, which is served to the public. She said it was difficult to find corporate sponsors because the parades could not offer tax receipts.
“For the parade, it means less money, higher prices,” Cowen wrote.
Instead, Canada Day celebrations in Montreal will take place in the Old Port, where events will include face painting, games, cake and a concert.
Canada Day in Asiniboin Park Canada Day in Asiniboin Park
Heritage Canada did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
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Montreal is not the only city where Canada Day organizers blame rising insurance and security costs for canceled parades.
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In Strathcona County, Alta, Sherwood Park and the County Chamber of Commerce announced in May that the Canada Day parade would not take place.
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“Unfortunately, our success, combined with the many recent incidents at other parades in Canada and the United States, has significantly increased the risks associated with parades and the burden on event organizers,” CEO Todd Banks said in a statement.
Banks said: “The cost of physical infrastructure, insurance and security obligations has already exceeded our capabilities when all monetary and voluntary requirements are taken into account.”
Six people were killed and dozens injured last year after a man allegedly drove his jeep to a Christmas parade in Wokesha, Wisconsin. And in Toronto in 2019, four people were injured after shots fired at a parade in honor of the Raptors “Victory in the NBA Championship.
2:07 Ottawa police prepare for potential protests against Canada Day convoy Ottawa police prepare for potential protests against Canada Day convoy
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, which canceled the 2018 Canada Day parade in the city due to rising prices, announced this year that it would neither host a parade nor present fireworks, citing “rising security costs. and security in the event industry as well, ”adding that it will instead focus on other events.
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Banff, Alta, decided to replace its parade with a day of activities and performances.
On its website, the city mentioned several factors to replace its parade: a desire for less crowding during a pandemic; the advantage of offering contractors time intervals; reducing the use of fossil fuel-powered vehicles; and personnel challenges that “affected the city’s ability to move all barriers and plantations to a one-hour event.”
Last year, many cities chose to cancel Canada Day events following the unveiling of unmarked graves on sites of former residential schools. While most events resume this year, some cities, such as Winnipeg and Thunder Bay, have chosen to celebrate Canada Day with cultural programs rather than festive events such as parades and fireworks.
Read more: Kamloops stops fireworks on Canada Day over forest fire fears
The cancellation of the Montreal parade came months after the death of Trinidad-born doctor Rupnarin Singh, who organized the city’s first Canada Day parade in 1978 with just a handful of vehicles after fearing there was no birthday party. day of his adopted party.
In an interview in 2017, Singh recalled years of struggle to secure funding for the event, occasionally becoming a thorn in the side of political leaders who did not want to anger the provincial separatist faction during the years surrounding the two referendums.
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Cowen said Singh, who died in March, had hoped to be in Montreal this summer for a parade. Polcsak said he would no doubt be “upset” to see the event he is fighting so hard for canceled.
Both organizers say they are working hard to secure the necessary funding to return the parade next year.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
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