Winston Heights/Mountview Community Association (WHMCA) held its annual Neighbour Day celebration on Saturday, June 16th. This year, the Pre-Stampede and Neighbour Day Party was different. Unlike previous years, this year’s celebration included an Indigenous component. The event started with the Acknowledgment of the Treaty 7 Territory and ended with an informational speech and wonderful performances. Both the speech and performances were done by Wandering Spirit Native Awareness Ltd. After the dancers from Wandering Spirits had completed their performances, the audience was asked to take part in a Round Dance. The Indigenous component was appreciated by many, especially one woman whose son was beyond excited to see the performance. The little second-grader even had the chance to get his photo taken with the drummer from Wandering Spirits.
Along with the Indigenous component, the event also included a BBQ lunch, a petting zoo, face painting and a bouncy castle. Despite the rain, 250 people still showed up for the festivities. The event was hosted on the community association land, so no permits were needed. WHMCA was able to use the full $750 ActivateYYC grant towards the indigenous components that made this event so unique and educational.