Saskatoon Nutana Legion hosts first-ever Canada Day celebration

(Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)

Saskatoon’s Nutana Legion hosted its first-ever Canada Day celebration, and hundreds of people came out to mark the occasion.

“It seems to be going very well, and lots of people are out. We’ve got lots going on here today,” said William Flahr, president of the Legion.

The outdoor portion of the event featured a local market, barbecue, beer gardens, car show, and various family activities. Meanwhile, inside the Legion building, people could visit the museum or the lounge, which featured various multicultural performances.

“It was the brainchild of one of our volunteers, actually. She suggested that we should do a Canada Day event, and everyone was well and gung-ho to do it. So we said, yeah, let’s do it. And that it took a lot of planning, organizing. And we’ve got a small army of volunteers here today, because without our volunteers, we can’t do what we do here,” Flahr said.

Flahr added that this year seemed appropriate to host a Canada Day event, as it marks a significant anniversary for the Canadian Legion.

“We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Legion in Canada as well today. And we’re also honouring our veterans because we live in a great country and we live here and with the freedoms we have because of our veterans, so Canada Day seems to be a good day to recognize that,” Flahr said.

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The festivities extended to include a handful of other community organizations as well. The Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan (LDAS) moved into a building across the street from the Nutana Legion earlier in the year. Brett Williams, the LDAS director of program service delivery, dawned a Captain Canuck costume at the Legion event to spread joy and take photos with attendees.

“They’ve been very welcoming neighbors, and anytime there’s an opportunity for us to collaborate with partners, we jump on it. And so it’s been super exciting,” Williams said.

Williams added that the Legion certainly seems like a good fit in terms of celebrating Canada.

“The Legion and the alliance with the military history and our armed forces and knowing how impactful Aspen throughout the history of the nation, it’s important that they continue to keep that healthy patriotism alive and well and remember those who have served our country,” Williams said.

That celebration, however, does come with some complicated feelings for many. Williams emphasized how Canada Day is also an opportunity to discuss topics that pertain to Canada’s Indigenous history. Emphasising how much of the country’s history involving Indigenous people is not something to celebrate.

“I think it’s dynamic nowadays. I know growing up it was always about celebrating our nation, and there are things worth celebrating. In adulthood, having more accurate education about our history, introduces some discomfort. So also, being intentional about reflecting on the history of colonialism and how that so persists and trying to find ways to work through that towards reconciliation,” Williams said.

Flahr told CTV News that this year’s event certainly was a success. Many people of all ages showed up to celebrate and learn about Canada’s history, and the Legion hopes to make the event an annual tradition.

“It’s a day to celebrate our freedoms. I mean, we live in a great country. Consider what’s happening in other places in the world these days, and we are remarkably well off in this country.I love it here,” Flahr said.