The case for — and against — cancelling Canada Day

Should Canada Day be a point of celebration? Or a day of mourning and sombre reflection?

In the wake of the reported discovery of 215 Indigenous children’s remains near a residential school in Kamloops, B.C., and the deadly attack Sunday against a Muslim family in London, Ont., a debate has been brewing over whether it is appropriate to hold Canada Day celebrations this year.

On Twitter, the hashtag #cancelCanadaDay has trended, with some saying now’s not the time for patriotic chest-thumping but for spreading awareness about anti-Indigenous racism and Islamophobia.

Citing the “challenging moment we are in as a Canadian nation,” Victoria’s city council announced this week it has voted unanimously to drop a scheduled virtual Canada Day broadcast and encouraged people to reflect on “what it means to be Canadian in light of recent events.”

READ MORE HERE