An organizer of a major cheerleading competition that's set to take place at the West Edmonton Mall says that many parents and squads are expressing their support for the event despite threats made last week by the extremist group al-Shabab.
Denise Fisher, executive director at the Alberta Cheerleading Association, says that a dozen teams have dropped out of the competition after the al Qaeda-linked rebel group released a video last Sunday, calling on Muslim fighters to launch attacks on targets in the West, including the Edmonton mall.
But there are about 180 squads, and 3,200 athletes from across the country that are still set to compete in the ACA Cheerleading Championships, which are scheduled to start the weekend of March 6.
Fisher said the association is working with mall staff, security and police to ensure the competition is safe for all those who plan on attending. She also confirmed that the mall will be increasing the security and police presence at the event – including many plain-clothes officers -- and the ACA will be hiring extra security as well.
Fisher says that many parents have called to express their faith in Edmonton police, and don't want to let fear get in the way of them enjoying the event.
"Fear is something that's very difficult to define. We have the reassurance of Edmonton Police Service that the event is safe and the Alberta Cheerleading Association is relying on that authority as the way to make the decision to keep with the competition," Fisher told The Canadian Press on Saturday.
Despite assurances from police, Fisher says she understands why some parents might still have concerns.
"To say that a parent's fear for their child is ever irrational – I don't think I could ever say that. It's a parent's job to consider the welfare of their children and I know from many of the parents that I have spoken with, it's a very difficult decision for them," she said.
Father Trevor Robertson will have two daughters, ages nine and 11, attending the event. He said that Canadians can’t let terror threats intimidate them.
"We live in a country like Canada that allows us to be free and make choices on our own," he said. "We should make those choices and we should be free."
Liz Letwiniuk's daughter is on the cheerleading team from Bedford Road Collegiate in Saskatoon, Sask. The senior squad won the ACA Cheerleading Championship last year, and Letwiniuk says she's upset that a terror threat is disrupting this year's event.
"Even a thought that there could be terrorism at the West Edmonton Mall made me really angry that it has come to this point and it's starting to affect our lives," she told CTV Saskatoon.
The coach of the Bedford squad, Carolyn Parr-Hillestad, said she consulted with parents and the school's administration and decided they would defend their title.
"We filled out the forms as always and followed our regular chain of command, and basically from parents and from administration we were told we can't live in fear," she said.
Fisher says that many participating squads have also called to say they are confident that the event will go off without a hitch.
"One of the things that they want to hear most is that we are monitoring this carefully and also that we are making sure we receive reports from the police as to the safety of the event," Fisher said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"A lot of them have communicated that they do have confidence with Edmonton Police Service and the RCMP, and if they're saying that it's safe for us to proceed then we shouldn't be afraid to proceed," she added.
Edmonton's Perfect Storm Athletics is still planning to enter about 600 athletes in the competition. Owner Jim Greenough said the club is confident things will be secure.
"We all had some concern about it, but we're confident that things will be just fine and precautions will be taken," he said.
Fisher said the clubs that dropped out made the decision after careful consideration and a "very heavy heart."
"We know that they've taken their decision very seriously. They've consulted with the parents and their clubs and they've made the decisions that they felt were necessary," she told CTV Edmonton.
Fisher won’t reveal the groups who have dropped, and says that ticket sales for the event have been good.
With files from CTV Edmonton's Veronica Jubinville and The Canadian Press
