Any guesses as to why this coming Sunday holds significance in these parts?
Yes, it’s the mid-point of the Labour Day long weekend and yes, it’s also the beginning of a new month, but there’s more to the date than just that. If you said it’s Alberta Day, the day this province was founded way back in 1905, please move to the front of the class where former premier Jason Kenney will personally thank you for remembering the anniversary.
One of Kenney’s last acts as premier in the summer of 2022 was to declare Sept. 1 as Alberta Day, which isn’t a holiday, so you won’t get a paid day off work, but it is a time to reflect on the history of the place you call home. According to the government: “Alberta Day gives Albertans an opportunity every year to come together in a spirit of celebration and express their pride in all things that are uniquely Albertan.”
Given it’s not even a Hallmark holiday, Alberta Day is going to struggle to catch on, but that isn’t stopping the government from continuing to throw money at celebrations throughout the province in the hopes it does resonate with the public.
Incidentally, Okotoks is hosting a drive-in screening of IF at the recreation centre on Friday night to celebrate Alberta Day a couple of daya early. Now, a giant purple monster in New York doesn’t exactly scream Alberta but, hey, it was in theatres earlier this year and it’s free, so it should draw a crowd.
There’s much to celebrate when it comes to Alberta and its rich history, so on many levels Alberta Day makes perfect sense, but with Heritage Day observed earlier in the month and Alberta Culture Days running throughout September, it could well be a challenge for this quasi-holiday to take hold.
