THUNDER BAY – Thousands of people came to Thunder Bay’s Marina Park on Saturday to join in Canada Day festivities, taking advantage of a beautiful summer day to enjoy free entertainment and activities.
On the main stage, that included music from the likes of Orville Councillor, Miranda Currie, the JB Band, Tennyson King, and Tim Albertson.
The second stage featured a culturally dizzying array of dance and theatrical performances from groups including the Thunder Bay World Dance Collective, Thai Healing Centre Dance Troupe, Italian Touch Latin Dance, and the Cambrian Players Improv Troupe.
Mayor Ken Boshcoff said he was pleased to see the event again approaching its pre-COVID popularity, and called the local entertainment acts a highlight.
“People are just having such an astonishingly good time – it’s really the best Thunder Bay can show,” he said.
Niny Martinez, who came to Canada from Colombia 26 years ago, attended the celebrations with friends who had more recently moved here from the country.
“Canada to me is like freedom, because we escaped from very hard times back in our country,” she said.
“For me, [Canada Day] is just to enjoy all the amenities we have today, the music, see [friends] – to have fun and get together with other people.”
Another attendee, Veronica, said she makes a point of attending celebrations at the waterfront each year.
“I get to be with Thunder Bay people and be who I am,” she said.
She added that she appreciates that Canadians can coexist peacefully while expressing themselves freely.
“Canada can face its problems and agree respectfully to disagree, but always go forward in a positive way.”
She called attending pow wows her favourite Canada Day activity.
This year’s event proceeded without fireworks, a step the city said was meant to respect the Indigenous community and based on advice from its elders council.
The city also incorporated Indigenous cultural traditions, like a sunrise ceremony, sacred fire, and drum groups.
Informational displays from Nishnawbe Aski Nation at the Tai Chi park highlighted the devastating impacts of Canada’s colonial history on Indigenous peoples and the need to move forward on a better path.
Those efforts are part of a retooling of the celebration after the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential school sites in 2021 prompted calls to “cancel Canada Day.”
At the sacred fire, Shkaabe, whose name translates as firekeeper, said he’d agreed to take on the role at the city’s Canada Day event in hopes of opening up conversation.
“I said I’m all for it, because we don’t want that ill-feeling against each other anymore – we want to bridge those gaps, have regular conversations and share,” he said. “Because there is an awareness right now, especially with residential schools.”
Some, including new Canadians, still aren’t aware of that history, he added.
“I’ve seen people come to this fire literally crying – they had no idea,” he said. “Some of them cry because their family or their people went through the same thing – holocausts, wars, torture. They tell me all kinds of stories I can relate to.”
Chief Michele Solomon of Fort William First Nation said while many Indigenous people may still choose not to mark the day, she was encouraged by the city’s efforts.
“Growing up, there was no acknowledgement of Indigenous people or Indigenous ways of knowing and being,” she said. “But when I look at the agenda for today, I see an effort towards reconciliation – I see that there’s a lot of Indigenous involvement being brought to this.”
“We can’t go forward without acknowledging the history. I think a lot of non-Indigenous people probably have trouble understanding some of the feelings and reactions from Indigenous people around not wanting to celebrate this day.”
“But I think by including these Indigenous aspects in this day, it helps to bring us together, and that can lend towards mending relationships.”
Superior–North MP and Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu said there’s plenty to celebrate about being Canadian, including the quality of life and public health care.
“We are a G7 country,” she said. “So as much as… lots of people are having a hard time post-COVID with inflation rates and challenges around affordability, Canada is still one of the best places in the world to live… We’ve got a lot to celebrate too.”
However, she said it’s clear the day must also include a recognition of hard truths.
“Today’s also a day to reflect on the journey of this country, a colonial country created out of the dispossession of land from generations of Indigenous peoples, oppression, inequity,” she said.
“I think it’s important Canadians are waking up to the reality of how this country was formed and the tools of oppression that were used to keep Indigenous people economically oppressed and destroy culture and family.”
“It’s great to see so many people reflect on that. When I was a kid – as a matter of fact, even when I was a young adult – most people didn’t know anything about residential schools, so that’s all changed.”
Boshcoff said there’s no question celebration was in order.
“The city has to celebrate. We’ve achieved an enormous amount of progress… when you think of how far we’ve come. People need to reassess what we’ve done, what needs to be done, but today’s really a day to trumpet successes.”
“There’s over 200 countries in the world – name three you’d rather be in. So should we [be celebrating] Canada Day? Darn right.”
