Victoria councillors have decided to leave the door open to fireworks for next year’s Canada Day celebration.
Councillors had voted to ask the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations if they’re interested in participating in or co-hosting an event oriented around Indigenous culture that does not include fireworks. But when the issue came to council to be ratified on Thursday, Mayor Lisa Helps proposed changes, including the potential for fireworks, that passed unanimously.
Helps told councillors she and Coun. Marianne Alto had met the chief and council of the Songhees Nation, who advised they weren’t ready to say what they would like from the event, but encouraged the city to apply for funding for “the whole shebang” with fireworks. “I think the points are . . . let’s be broadly inclusive, and still not close the doors to any opportunities for additional funding,” Alto said.
Councillors are discussing the event now because city staff are preparing a funding application to Canadian Heritage’s Celebrate Canada program ahead of a Nov. 21 deadline.
Songhees Nation Chief Ron Sam said in an interview he needs time to ask his community what they would like to see for a July 1 event.
“I know we have a lot of members that celebrate Canada Day, so it’s going to be interesting to engage our membership around how our community sees Canada Day being celebrated here in our territory,” he said. “We let the city know, too, that we have members that love fireworks, you know, so it’s a hard road to walk, but we need to talk about it.”
Sam said some people in Greater Victoria seem to believe the Songhees Nation is calling the shots on Canada Day. He said there was backlash against the nation when Victoria council decided not to create a Canada Day broadcast last summer after the discovery of probable unmarked graves near a former residential school in Kamloops.
“Change is always hard, but I think we’re just trying to look for a balance. Yes, Canada Day is important, but also what has come to light and how we celebrate as a country really needs to be figured out,” Sam said.
Councillors voted to create a sub-committee of several council members to support staff in Canada Day planning, after Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe stepped back from the event.
Helps said she intends to chair the sub-committee and wants to create an event that feels both inclusive for anyone who has felt excluded and celebratory for those who want to celebrate.
