Sundre parade controversy draws hundreds to Alberta independence cruise

SUNDRE — Independence supporters cruised through Sundre on Saturday without incident after the town’s annual rodeo parade was cancelled earlier this week following controversy surrounding an Alberta flag-themed float.More than 100 vehicles decorated with Alberta flags and other independence movement regalia travelled through the main avenue corridor of the town as part of the “For the Love of Sundre Cruise” — an event organized by the Facebook group Cruise to Alberta Independence, after the Sundre Pro Rodeo and Race Association called off the parade, citing escalating harassment and personal attacks directed at volunteers..While some local residents appeared more concerned with the annual pancake breakfast happening at the Freson Bros.grocery store parking lot along the cruise route — which featured live music as well as fire trucks from the local fire department — other residents, as well as those who made the trip from out of town to attend the independence-linked event, lined Sundre’s main street in a show of support, with estimates placing the number of attendees at roughly around 1,000.Bob Kerik — who made the journey from Red Deer — told the Western Standard that it had been “terrible” that the parade had been cancelled but that the response from people since the announcement had been “great.”.Kerik said he had been encouraged by the growth of Alberta’s independence movement, but believes many Albertans still underestimate the challenges of securing a better deal from the federal government to stay in Confederation.“They have to realize that Ottawa is not going to come to the table, they’re just not,” Kerik, who works in the oil and gas industry in horizontal directional drilling (HDD), said, adding that he doubted there was a chance of Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed BC coast pipeline ever getting built.One Sundre business owner who asked to remain anonymous said that the original parade cancellation had disappointed many in the community.“I didn’t agree with the parade getting canceled because it let down the community and the businesses,” the business owner said, adding that while the rodeo committee does valuable work for the community, “it should stick with the rodeo and leave the parade for the people.”.“The kids are disappointed, the people are disappointed... There are so few functions in the town to pull people together that to take it away was in bad taste.”The business owner also discussed the current controversy surrounding the flying of the Alberta flag and how some in the community now assume it instantly represents the independence movement.“I’ve lived here all my life. If I can’t have an Alberta flag because someone gets offended, they can leave,” the owner said.They did, however, add that the overall debate surrounding independence has remained largely respectful in Sundre despite strong opinions on both the independence and pro-Canada sides..“Everybody's got an opinion, but nothing is violent. I don't feel they're pushy. I feel they're informative,” the owner said.Despite the controversy over the cruise, not everyone wanted to discuss the politics surrounding the event.Cam Bowman, manager of the Freson Bros. grocery store, said his staff were more focused on the community's annual pancake breakfast than on any outside noise.“We ran our pancake breakfast, as always. We had a great day,” Bowman said.“We were so focused on the breakfast that that's where our heads were.”

Sundre parade controversy draws hundreds to Alberta independence cruise

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