The day marks Alberta’s official establishment as a province on Sept. 1, 1905. Kenne said the day will not be a mandatory holiday but will each year recognize Alberta’s unique culture and spirit. “We need to learn from the mistakes of our past, but also celebrate its achievements. We need to be proud of this province. We need to be grateful for those who came before us,” Kenney said before he and other members of the Legislature. of Alberta gave out free bottles for Premier’s Stampede Pancake Breakfast. About 1,500 people attended, with a small group of protesters, Calgary police said. The breakfast is held every year, but the Calgary Stampede was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and the shadow of the pandemic hangs over the premier’s breakfast in 2021. Gone were the lines watching the food being prepared on the grill, and instead, containers of pancakes and eggs that had already been prepared were handed out. Members of the Alberta Legislature serve food at Calgary’s McDougall Center for the Premier’s Stampede Pancake Breakfast. (Nassima Way/Radio Canada) Kenney, after declaring Alberta “open for summer” in 2021, told reporters last morning that his government would not follow the example of Quebec and Manitoba by introducing vaccine passports. But as the numbers of COVID-19 cases rose later that year, he reneged on the promise and introduced a passport system which remained in place until February. Anger within his United Conservative Party over pandemic restrictions ultimately played a role in a leadership review in the spring that prompted Kenney to step down once a new leader is chosen, making today the premier’s last breakfast as Alberta’s leader — but one that he said he would let the Alberta Day tradition go “forever into the future”. The province will host Alberta Day celebrations in Edmonton and Calgary and support other municipalities in planning their own events, a press release said. Since 1974, the province has recognized the first Monday in August as Heritage Day to celebrate the cultural heritage of Albertans.
