Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek will not attend tonight’s annual community menorah lighting at City Hall after saying the event had shifted toward a more political nature.
“It has come to my attention late in the day that tomorrow’s community menorah lighting event — something I have looked forward to attending over the years — has been repositioned as an event to support Israel,” read a statement from Gondek posted to X.
Gondek said that when she asked to speak at the event weeks ago, it was to bring traditional Hannukah greetings to Calgary’s Jewish community.
“This last minute change goes against the original intention, and has left me feeling let down by leadership,” reads the statement.
As mayor, Gondek added her goal is to celebrate common bonds in the city, and engage in an interfaith manner.
“The changed nature of tomorrow’s event creates a divide and forces people to choose a side.”
1/2 On the eve of a beloved Calgary tradition, the annual menorah lighting at City Hall, I have learned that the event has been repositioned to be political. This breaks my heart.<br><br>It is with great regret and sadness that I will not be attending. My statement is posted here. <a href=”https://t.co/ttx8E7LQII”>pic.twitter.com/ttx8E7LQII</a>
The community Menorah lighting has been organized by Chabad Lubavitch Alberta for 35 years.
A release sent by the organization on Dec. 5 outlines that the theme for this year’s festivities is “unity, supporting Israel, and demonstrating Jewish pride.”
Chabad Lubavitch Alberta’s senior Rabbi Menachem Matusof told CBC News the event would function as both a celebration and a demonstration in support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“Unfortunately due to what’s going on today, we had to put a program together that speaks to the current events,” said Matusof.
“This is celebrating Hanukkah, obviously. At the same time, this is a peaceful demonstration for celebrating light over darkness … demonstrating Jewish pride and demonstrating support for Israel.”
Matusof said that while the event will include elements of fun for children and adults alike, such as music and dancing, that there will also be solemn moments for prayer and songs of encouragement for both the local community and people in Israel.
“It’s impossible to win a war, so to speak, by having our heads down and we’re not [going] to let evil and negativity take over the world.”
Matusof said that his organization worked with city officials and the Calgary police to enhance security measures for the event. He added that all Calgarians are welcome to attend.
The Calgary Jewish Federation said in an email to its community members that it’s hurt and disappointed by the decision.
“As always, and particularly at this time, our community does not waver in our support of Israel, nor will our community forget that 140 Israeli hostages still remain in captivity,” the statement said.
“Our yearning for peace in Israel and Gaza does not run counter to our support of (the land of) Israel, but rather are inextricably linked.”
The nine Conservative MPs for Calgary issued a joint statement saying they are “deeply troubled” by Gondek’s decision not to attend the menorah lighting.
“Her decision to withdraw could dangerously normalize antisemitism at a time when, across campuses and communities, Jewish Canadians are already feeling threatened,” said the statement, which was posted on X.
“We strongly urge the mayor to stand with Calgary’s Jewish community and reconsider her message regarding the City Hall menorah lighting and decision to withdraw out of deep concern for our shared constituents.”
Calgary mayor opts out of annual menorah lighting
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has pulled out of the city’s annual menorah lighting ceremony, saying the event’s emphasis on support for Israel made it focus on politics rather than faith.
Lori Williams, an associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, said it’s unfortunate the mayor’s decision not to attend the event has become politicized, particularly since that’s what she was trying to avoid.
“Unfortunately, rather than it simply being a celebration of the Jewish community in Calgary, some have said that this is going to be an event that expresses support for Israel and forces people essentially to choose a side,” Williams told CBC News.
“I think what the mayor is trying to do, and I think what many Calgarians and people around the world are trying to do, is to stand in support of the people that are being unjustly harmed.… I think what’s happening here is that many people want to be able to speak in support of Jewish and Palestinian folks without taking a side with respect to what the Israeli government is doing or what Hamas is doing and has done.”
During Hamas’s attack on Israel more than eight weeks ago, about 1,200 people, including several Canadians, were killed and 240 were taken hostage, Israel says.
In Gaza, which has been ruled by Hamas since 2007, Palestinian health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations estimate that more than 15,900 people have been killed, and thousands more are feared buried under rubble as a result of Israel’s response.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
