Internal emails from the City of Calgary reveal the anger and backtracking that went on after the cancellation of Canada Day fireworks in May of this year..The backlash was so intense one city official said his staff were being worn down by it, according to emails obtained by the Western Standard through a freedom of information request. .And the decision was mocked by people who contacted the city from around the world..READ MORE: MORGAN: Woke city of Calgary ends Canada Day fireworks as part of truth and reconciliation.Days later, the City admitted it had screwed up and the fireworks were back on..READ MORE: UPDATED: Canada Day fireworks are back in Calgary as city reverses decision.“Since the announcement of the pilot program on May 18, Council and Administration have heard from many Calgarians that while the pilot program is valued, they would also appreciate an aerial fireworks display to celebrate on July 1,” said City of Calgary City Manager David Duckworth in an email. .“[City of Calgary General Manager, Community Services] Katie [Black] and her team are actively working with partners to confirm an appropriate site and will share details as they become available.” .The city said it was ending the fireworks display due to “cultural sensitivities related to ongoing efforts at truth and reconciliation with Canada’s First Nations.” It noted July 1 marks the anniversary of Canada's Chinese Immigration Act. .The backlash was so severe a few days after the announcement that Black recommended the city say the typical fireworks show costs $125,000. .Black said the scaled down fireworks would be about $40,000. The total event budget would be $850,000, and this change would not impact it because the money would be spent elsewhere. .She added the city could say Vancouver and Kamloops, BC, were not doing fireworks, and other cities such as Winnipeg had not made a decision. .Tourism Calgary Vice President, Strategy, Research, and Communications, Kelly Bowman contacted the city to say it was receiving complaints about it cancelling the fireworks. .One Houston resident said his Calgary travel plans were put in question because of the fireworks cancellation. .“I sincerely have to ask myself what is going on in Calgary,” said the Houston resident. .“Your mayoral behaviour cancelling Canada Day is disturbing.” .He called this “disgusting and bad for business.” He pledged to reroute to Edmonton and Jasper, AB, saying Calgary had gone woke. .Calgary Partnerships Team Lead — Festival and Event Planning Ben Brackett admitted this move was wearing his staff down..“I know this may not seem like a popular decision, but I truly believe that it is the right decision, balancing the increasingly complicated considerations that impact Canada Day fireworks,” said Brackett. .Calgary Coun. Sonya Sharp spearheaded the motion which encouraged city administration to change its mind on the day of the cancellation, asking fellow councillors to support it. .“Your immediate attention to this would be greatly appreciated,” said Sharp. .Calgary Coun. Jasmine Mian responded one minute after by asking for her name to be included. Mian said one tweak she wanted made was to support putting money to this if administrators say it is now a limiting factor..Calgary Coun. Sean Chu said he wanted his name on it..Duckworth followed up the next day, saying he felt compelled to provide additional details about the community’s reaction to the fireworks cancellation. .Over the last number of years, he said administration has received a growing number of concerns about the Canada Day fireworks, which have included impacts to the environment and surrounding communities and cultural and location-based sensitivities. .He concluded by saying administration responded to strong feedback from Calgarians and city councillors by bringing back the fireworks. He said it “remains committed to considering impacts and cultural sensitivities while respecting a desire to proceed with aerial fireworks.”.The city confirmed it had announced the plan to cancel the fireworks to be inclusive, diverse, and educational. ."In the days that followed, Calgarians' feedback was clear that they also valued aerial fireworks as a way to celebrate Canada Day," it said.."In listening to feedback from Calgarians and Council, The City of Calgary announced on May 25 that it was reinstating aerial fireworks while still providing a diverse and inclusive program for the day.".It said it values feedback from all Calgarians in its decison-making processes. Listening to them is a key component to its success and one of the many reasons it ranks as one of the most liveable cities in the world.
