On Friday the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association (EHFA) Board decided to ban the Russian Pavilion from this year;s Heritage Days. They said after meeting with both the Ukrainian and Russian pavilions they were unable to come up with a solution. In addition the EHFA board said it received a number of threats but did not specify what they were.
Edmonton's Heritage Festival has become a summer mainstay and when plans were announced for a long term rehab project for Hawrelak Park it left organizers wondering if the cultural Showcase could go on. The good news is that it can and will on the the new three-year temporary site of Edmonton's Exhibition Lands and Borden Park.
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The Russian Heritage Cultural Development Association has decided to cancel their pavilion at this year's Heritage Festival. I would be shocked in anyone in the Russian community had anything to do with the Russian/Ukrainian conflict yet their fear is negativity associated with Russia.Its highly unlikely their decision will be reversed but it would be so healing if we could let the Russian community we do not hold what is going in Ukraine against them.
I think the Ukrainian Community missed an opportunity to take a conciliatory role, extend forgiveness and acceptance and even stand with the Russians in a show of solidarity and peace. What an example that could have been to the world.