Monday July 1, 2024 | SOOKE, BC [Updated 6:55 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The speeches were short and the cupcakes were sweet. That’s about the sum of it all for the formal part of the speeches by VIPs at Sooke Canada Day this year.
Compared to years past when the crowd was treated to oratory by the likes of John Horgan and Mike Hicks, this was simple stuff.
After being led in by a bagpipe parade and hearing remarks from Jackie Planes of T’Sou-ke Nation, a few quick words were said by Randall Garrison, long-time MP for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, followed by a quick comments from Ravi Parmar, MLA, Langford-Juan de Fuca. Then long-time Mayor of Sooke, Maja Tait, thanked the crowd for coming.
Garrison set the tone appropriate for a holiday to celebrate the nation by reminding everyone about the importance of rejecting hate in any form. Canada is a free country where everyone should feel welcome. Tait and Parmar echoed those sentiments. O Canada was sung proudly.
It was all about the cupcakes (iced in red and white for Canada Day) — which replaced the former very large slab cake of years past (well, in 2023 they started the cupcake tradition, probably a post-pandemic measure to avoid all the food handling). Lineups were long to get the goodies!
Also on the stage were District of Sooke Councillors Jeff Bateman, Kevin Pearson, and Dana LaJeunesse. District of Sooke Councillor Al Beddows — also of the Sooke Lions Club that organized the event — led the formal portion of the event as emcee.
A few vendor booths, some information tables, and some candidates for the upcoming provincial election were on hand.
Politics of the day:
Local Juan de Fuca-Malahat BC Green candidate David Evans mingled with his supporters and moved around the field to chat with the locals. He is keen to discuss the environment with people but also how the region can benefit from better transportation and funding decisions.
Dr Marina Sapozknikov had a bean bag throw activity happening at her Conservatives of BC Party campaign booth and had friendly chats with folks.
She said today that being originally from the Soviet Union, that she’s surprised how democracy is being challenged in this country where she has lived now for 20 years. In her campaign she will have a lot to say about how health-care could be run better in BC. The solution isn’t necessarily more money or facilities, but getting more workers into the system.
Garrison and Tait had a few moments to chat. Tait is the federal NDP candidate for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, ready to step into action with a by-election when Garrison retires.
Tait moved about the crowd with a bubble-making machine, lots of fun.
Parmar seemed to have a lot of fun handing out cupcakes, including to the kids.
Activities:
Lineups for food were long, but no one seemed to mind. The weather was bright but with the 20°C heat broken by a light bit of wind there at Sooke Flats by the Sooke River.
Games and activities for the kids.
Firefighters were on hand with a very large Canadian flag flapping in the wind from the top of their ladder truck. They also had a FireSmart information booth.
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