LAC LA BICHE – Canada Day activities in the Lac La Biche area got underway on the morning of July 1 with the annual celebration at the Lac La Biche Mission historical site.
Pancakes, sausages and refreshments were served bright and early for the event which went into the afternoon and featured live musical entertainment, children’s games and activities, along with a mass inside of the historic Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church (Our Lady of Victory) at 10 a.m.
During the celebration, people of all ages walked around the grounds with many showed their patriotic pride by wearing red and white shirts and hats and carrying Canadian flags.
S/Sgt Chris Mosley, commander of the Lac La Biche RCMP detachment, addressed the gathering marking Canada’s 158th birthday. He said celebrating Canada Day is important as it recognizes and remembers the history of Canada and celebrates the freedoms enjoyed by those who live here today.
“In a place like Lac La Biche, we have so much freedom to enjoy the great outdoors, we have some incredible diversity…religious freedom…and I think that by recognizing this every year, and celebrating Canada Day, we just remember that we have such a great country with all these wonderful rights that we enjoy together,” Mosley said.
Local resident Nick Bartlett said the occasion is an opportunity for all cultures to come together and to celebrate the true meaning of what Canada is.
“It’s a mixing pot of many different peoples that have co-mingled with each other for over 100 years, and to keep this celebration alive is to keep the true meaning of what it is to be a Canadian,” Bartlett told Lakeland This Week.
According to Bartlett, who serves as president of the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association, Canada Day is significant to observe from an Indigenous perspective.
“It’s also an opportunity to showcase the Indigenous culture as well, and, you know, our relationship going forward with sharing the land and sharing Canada.”
Danielle Gauthier, the operations supervisor for the Lac La Biche Mission, said having the annual Canada Day event at the site teaches people about the history of the area while bringing them together to have a great time.
“I think it’s good because it allows for unity and the community to come together to celebrate our multicultural nation,” Gauthier stated.
