September 1 will be Alberta Day, Prime Minister Jason Kenney said Monday at the McDougall Center in Calgary.
The day marks Alberta being formally established as a province on September 1, 1905. Kenney said the day would not be a legal holiday, but would recognize each year the unique culture and spirit of Alberta.
“We must learn from the mistakes of our past, but we must also celebrate its successes. We must be proud of this province. We must thank those who have preceded us,” Kenney said to him and other members of the Alberta legislature. handed out free vittles for Premier’s Stampede’s pancake breakfast.
About 1,500 people attended, with a small contingent of protesters, Calgary police said.
Breakfast is held annually, but the Calgary Stampede was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the shadow of the pandemic hung over the Prime Minister’s breakfast in 2021.
Behind them were the rows watching how the food was prepared on the grill, and instead containers were distributed with pancakes and eggs already prepared.
Members of the Alberta legislature hand out food at the McDougall Center in Calgary for the Premier’s Stampede’s pancake breakfast. (Nassima Way / Radio Canada)
Kenney, after declaring Alberta “open for the summer” in 2021, told reporters at last year’s breakfast that his government would not follow the example of Quebec and Manitoba with the introduction of vaccine passports .
But as the number of COVID-19 cases increased later that year, it broke its promise and introduced a passport system that remained in place until February.
His United Conservative Party’s anger over the pandemic’s restrictions ended up playing a role in a leadership review in the spring, which led Kenney to resign as soon as a new leader was chosen, making his Premier Breakfast Stampede’s last breakfast as Alberta’s leader, but which he said will leave the Alberta Day tradition “forever in the future.”
The province will host Alberta Day celebrations in Edmonton and Calgary and support other municipalities in planning their own events, a press release said.
Since 1974, the province has recognized the first Monday in August as Heritage Day to celebrate the cultural heritage of Albertans.