The City of Penticton today officially canceled all official Canada Day activities for 2021. The announcement came from the desk of mayor John Vassilaki, so we reached out to him to find out why.
After all, Step 3 of the provincial government's "Restart" plan, tentatively due to take effect on July 1st, states that "fairs and festivals can operate with a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place."
But at the same time, the nation's ongoing residential school tragedy, horrifically highlighted by the discovery near the end May of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, continues to reverberate across the land.
According to Vassilaki, it's the latter that most influenced the decision.
"We don't usually start getting things prepared until two weeks prior to whatever it is we're going to do," he explained. "And what happened in Kamloops, and of course COVID, happened before that.
"So we were just waiting for the right moment for city council to make a decision for what we’re going to do, and we felt it was in the best interest of the community that we show respect for the Indigenous people and those children who perished."
Vassilaki, who noted he was now speaking for himself rather than council, isn’t happy the federal government didn't "take the lead" on Canada Day 2021.
"I know it's our nationalistic day where we honour all those who did all the things they did to make us into the beautiful country we are now," he said. "But because of what happened in Kamloops and probably elsewhere in Canada, I think the federal government should have taken the leadership role on this one."
"What happened (in Kamloops) put us in the spotlight of the entire world. And as a country, we have to admit the errors we've made in the past and we have to show reconciliation to Indigenous people and that we are willing to change our ways and show respect.
"The way I was raised, that's the thought that came to my head."
We asked if he had a message for the Penticton Indian Band, from which several members attended not only the Kamloops institution, but other residential schools in Cranbrook and Chilliwack.
"We contacted Chief Gabriel and are in contact with the Penticton Indian Band constantly," he replied. "We asked if there was anything we could do to help them out and honour them for what happened. To relieve them of what happened.
"And the comment was that if we were to tone down the celebrations this year, that would be greatly appreciated."
In the end, council went one step further than that.
