With the COVID-19 restrictions that had been in place for the last 16 months lifted MMIFCSS along with many different partners were able to hold Canada Day celebrations in Mannville on July 1.
The day began with opening speeches from FCSS Summer Student Elizabeth Lenko and Jocelyne Lanovaz who spoke on behalf of Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homenuik, who could not be in attendance. Lenko did the Indigenous Acknowledgment.
“Welcome everyone to Canada Day 2021, we are really excited to see everyone here today. Together with Payton Konieczny we put this together with the summer students of FCSS. I would like to begin today with the realities of our world and ask everyone to spend a moment taking in our version of a memorial for the Indigenous lives that were lost and changed. We have placed orange ribbons up and down Mainstreet.
We have been working with Kevin John the man behind ‘Building Bridges’ and the son of Helen John to put this together today… with that, I am honoured to read the land acknowledgment written by Kevin John. “We acknowledge that we are gathered on Treaty 6 Territory, which is the traditional home, meeting grounds, travelling routes of the Cree, Blackfoot, Nakoda, Sioux, Deana, and Métis people. We also acknowledge the many Indigenous and Métis people that once lived and flourished in these lands whose footsteps and cultures have marked these lands for centuries before Confederation, in doing so we also acknowledge that you and I live and prosper in this same land as a result of the resilience and guidance of the many Indigenous peoples indigenous to Treaty 6 land,” said Lenko.
The local band Peysecail performed O’Canada and Lanovaz followed with the speech from MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homenuik.
FCSS is about individuals, families, and community, and the Canada Day celebration reflected that with the many activities the attendees could enjoy throughout the day. The festivities included numerous street games such as connect four, bocce ball, cornhole, etc. There were classic cars and muscles cars from members of the Mannville Classic Car club for viewing. There was also mini golf and a scavenger hunt where participants had to try and locate the 21 Canada flags which were placed throughout the community. Free cinnamon buns provided by FCSS were available at Alberta’s Own Restaurant, Cornerstone Co-op, and Something Sweet Coffee & Bake Shop with the purchase of a beverage.
“FCSS collaborates with many partners throughout the year and this is an example of those collaborations where everyone comes together to showcase the dynamic community we live in. We are fortunate to have great people working together for the betterment of everyone. I would like to extend a grateful thank you to those collaborative partnerships. I would like to acknowledge Payton Konieczny and Elizabeth Lenko for the coordinating efforts of pulling together this year’s Canada Day,” said Jannette Riedel, M-M-I F.C.S.S. Director and FCSS Outcome Measures Trainer.