Albertans marked the province’s 121st anniversary across the province.
Music, food and cultural performances filled the Alberta legislature grounds and Calgary’s Heritage Park on Sunday.
Alberta Day falls on Sept. 1. On that date in 1905, the Alberta Act came into force and Alberta officially became a province.
“Alberta Day celebrates our rich history, cultural heritage and community spirit,” Premier Danielle Smith said.
Smith said the day allows Albertans to recognize the province’s place in Canada and celebrate the people who helped build it.
Her statement also acknowledged that Indigenous Peoples lived on the land long before Alberta was created.
“We recognize the Indigenous Peoples whose enduring connection to and stewardship of this land continues to shape Alberta,” Smith said.
That sentence was missing from a second version of the statement posted by the government. The original wording was later restored.
Smith blamed the change on an error within the public service.
“The public service posted one statement and then took it down and put up another one,” Smith said. “I said, ‘Why didn’t you just put up the original one?’”
Treaty 8 Sovereign First Nations Grand Chief Trevor Mercredi said the omission was troubling.
“Respect for First Nations must be reflected in the government’s words, actions and relationships,” Mercredi said.
The Alberta government created Alberta Day in 2022. It is a commemorative day, not a statutory holiday.