Mayor McCune provides the following message commemorating Canada Day 2021 in Enderby:
Canada Day is a celebration of who we are as a nation and those national values with which we identify.
As we recover from the pandemic, there is an opportunity to renew our ties with friends and family, and an ability to return to many of the activities that we love.
This year, due to public health restrictions, we had planned a scaled-back Canada Day celebration consisting of fireworks and a special day at the pool. The pool will be open and our spray park will be on to help people of all ages cool off. During the heat wave, please remember to check on friends, family, and neighbours who may be vulnerable to the heat, to make sure that they are okay.
However, our fireworks show will be postponed due to the heat wave. When the City puts on a fireworks show in dry conditions, we take extra measures to manage the risk. However, a prolonged heat wave adds a different kind of challenge that affects how emergency personnel respond, if they are called out for a fire. After careful consideration, postponing the fireworks show was seen as the safest choice. There will be a show at a later date.
This has been a year when we have struggled to reconcile Canadian values with the tragedies that are being investigated at residential schools across the country. My deepest sympathy goes out to the victims and survivors of the residential school system, and the intergenerational trauma that continues. On this Canada Day, I urge our community to think about what reconciliation means in the context of what Canada must become. We all have a part to play. Start by hearing the stories. Then, enter into a dialogue. On the basis of that dialogue, take action.
As we celebrate Canada, let it be in the context of what we can do, individually and as a group, to ensure that our actions always align with our values. Let it be with a renewed commitment to respect, honesty, dignity, inclusion, and truth.
On Canada Day in 2021, let it be a day when we come together with friends and family to reflect upon our nation, our values, and our actions.
Last Updated on July 6, 2021.