No parade or Canada Day event, Black Diamond council votes

Black Diamond’s council has again opted against staple summer events this year, but are holding out hope for a fall celebration.

Deputy Mayor Daryl Lalonde put forward a motion at its April 7 meeting directing administration to cancel the Diamond Valley Parade and Canada Day festivals.

“As heartbreaking as it is, it’s responsible and it’s the right thing to do,” Lalonde said, speaking to his motion. “I wish there were others out there that would follow suit.”

Council voted unanimously in favour of the motion.

Coun. Sharon Hart asked if the fireworks show was still a possibility to lift spirits if people could watch while following restrictions.

Black Diamond CAO Sharlene Brown responded that the fireworks provider suggested putting the show on hold as audiences would be limited.

Money that the Town had put down with the provider as a deposit for the 2020 celebrations will be carried forward until a fireworks display can be put on.

There is a possibility that a celebration could be had in September or October, should progress be made regarding the ongoing pandemic, Brown added.

In a later interview, Lalonde added he’s hopeful there may be a chance for some sort of celebration..

“As we move into May, June and July, if things light up a bit, there may still be the opportunities for smaller festivals and gatherings and get-togethers,” he said. “That's a bridge we can cross.”

He said large crowds would pose considerable risk with the pandemic.

“We’re the largest parade in Alberta next to the Calgary Stampede,” Lalonde said. “To get the crowds that we do is just a recipe for disaster.”

The possibility for a larger celebration in September is one Lalonde is entertaining as well.

“Kids go back to school hopefully in September without any more fears of going online." he said. 

“Hopefully that's green lit ready to go, there’s a level of normality back in our lives because the vaccines are going to have six months of rollout.

“We used to have Septembeer Fest. It would be a great time to have a celebration.”

He explained it was worth playing the long game.

“The easiest thing to do is a short term pain for a long term gain,” Lalonde continued. “You suck it up now and lose the next couple of months, but you can look back next Christmas and go ‘We made the right choice’ and have a great Christmas with family again.”

Brown said in an interview the challenges and uncertainty created as the province wades into the third wave of the pandemic make summer events a non-starter. 

“These events are really challenging this year,” she said. “We don't know where the restrictions are going to be or if there's going to be even gatherings permitted by the time the events are held.”

While the City of Calgary is able to move ahead with some events, Brown said, its significant staff and resources allow them to be more manoeuvrable than a small municipality in uncertain times.

Mayor Ruth Goodwin was in step with Lalonde regarding the mix of disappointment and optimism, and pointed out the large amount of planning would go to waste if conditions didn’t permit the events to go forward.

“The people that work on these events spend a lot of time working on these events,” Goodwin said.

She added the events take time and money, and it was important to make sure neither were going to be wasted, especially when booking entertainment and bands.

“Hopefully we'll be able to hold some type of a celebration once the province opens up to a Level 4 and that would be wonderful,” Goodwin said, adding fireworks during the Light Up night in December would be a great idea. 

“Whatever it takes to bring community back together.”