No Russian Pavilion at Edmonton Heritage Festival this year

[bessiedog]

Oooooh but I got ya!….,

A you started it!

He heeeeee!

[sns2]

Originally Posted by bessiedog

oooooh but i got ya!….,

a you started it!

He heeeeee!

lol

[badbrass]

With a lot of others I think !!

[badbrass]

Wow! Don't know what to think!

[sns2]

Originally Posted by badbrass

Wow! Don't know what to think!

Don’t think anything of the banter between Bessie and I. We are on a group chat with some other AO friends. I roast him whenever the opportunity presents itself. Largely because I miss teaching high school social studies. I’d want my kid in Bessie’s class, based on many things, not the least of which is the large number of ex students who frequently contact Mr Bessiedog for advice, and to do outdoor stuff. He’s one of my colleagues doin it right. Makes them kids think, while still imparting winsomeness and hope. Guy’s got skills.

Back to the regular programming.

[leo]

As usual I'm late to wade into the fray, here goes! I'm also of the opinion that all cultures be allowed to have a pavilion and represent their cultures. Banning a group because of political will is unacceptable in any "Heritage Festival". If The Ukrainian contingency has a fit over it, then it is their problem. The other solution is a 50/50 trade off by a coin toss. One country be represented the Saturday, the other the Sunday with no overlap. It would be best that all parties come to terms and realize they are Canadians first and their ethnic background is secondary. Grow the hell up and learn to co-exist or pack up your crap and go back to your homeland. It's bad enough the Feds impose cultural division upon us, it's time the adults took back this country and put an end to multi-culturalism. It doesn't work, and never will for this reason. All it does is give cultural or special interest groups a platform to spew the very crap they left their homeland for.

[sns2]

For me, there are bigger fish to fry, but this is an interesting story. The story I read in the journal was light on specifics, but this one is better.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/russian-...%20on%20Friday.

Funny how it was okay for the Russkies to decide on their own last year that it not be in their best interests to take part. Now that the festival/city/cops think their participation poses a danger to attendees this year, they are incensed.

Sounds like they were put in a room and told to work it out, but despite efforts on behalf of the festival, no solution was found.

Seems like threats are coming from people outside of either group, which is what I thought.

If cops say it ain’t worth the risk, it likely ain’t worth the risk.

[KGB]

Well, let me shine in a little bit boys… As an immigrant from the Soviet Union, and precisely the Russian part of it- straight from Moscow, I can tell you that I do not support the war or Putin or Zelenskyy. I do however support the CULTURE. The real culture, not the politicized version of it. Because of that I would like to see the Russian pavilion present.
However!!! I also see how much hate has been projected on ordinary people who have nothing to do with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, reading posts on Facebook Edmonton Russian speaking groups where people are at each other throats for no reason but their origins - that makes me SICK!
I would choose to close both pavilions- if you can’t behave like a civilized people- there is no place for you at the Heritage festival! It’s like a fight between 2 guys at the school yard- both go to the principal office!

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by KGB

Well, let me shine in a little bit boys… As an immigrant from the Soviet Union, and precisely the Russian part of it- straight from Moscow, I can tell you that I do not support the war or Putin or Zelenskyy. I do however support the CULTURE. The real culture, not the politicized version of it. Because of that I would like to see the Russian pavilion present.
However!!! I also see how much hate has been projected on ordinary people who have nothing to do with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, reading posts on Facebook Edmonton Russian speaking groups where people are at each other throats for no reason but their origins - that makes me SICK!
I would choose to close both pavilions- if you can’t behave like a civilized people- there is no place for you at the Heritage festival! It’s like a fight between 2 guys at the school yard- both go to the principal office!

Well said.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by sns2

For me, there are bigger fish to fry, but this is an interesting story. The story I read in the journal was light on specifics, but this one is better.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/russian-...%20on%20Friday.

Funny how it was okay for the Russkies to decide on their own last year that it not be in their best interests to take part. Now that the festival/city/cops think their participation poses a danger to attendees this year, they are incensed.

Sounds like they were put in a room and told to work it out, but despite efforts on behalf of the festival, no solution was found.

Seems like threats are coming from people outside of either group, which is what I thought.

If cops say it ain’t worth the risk, it likely ain’t worth the risk.

If it is in fact the police opposing having the Russian pavilion, then they are just trying to avoid doing their job. But is it really the police or just virtue signaling?

[ruffy71]

Hmmmm...

The USA just sent cluster bombs, NATO/the west has sent over billions of dollars worth of stuff, every major western country has condemned Russia, kicked it out of meetings, banned athletes from competing under their flag, or even competing at all. Their diplomats have been kicked out of lots of countries.

Dead civilians, children killed, women raped, grain blocked.

Finland loves Russian culture so much they joined NATO and started building a fence.

Poland respects Russian culture so much they are buying every piece of military equipment they can get their hands on.

But damn you if you tell them not to set up a tent at a goofy festival. Damn you to hell.

[jungleboy]

Originally Posted by ruffy71

Hmmmm...

The USA just sent cluster bombs, NATO/the west has sent over billions of dollars worth of stuff, every major western country has condemned Russia, kicked it out of meetings, banned athletes from competing under their flag, or even competing at all. Their diplomats have been kicked out of lots of countries.

Dead civilians, children killed, women raped, grain blocked.

Finland loves Russian culture so much they joined NATO and started building a fence.

Poland respects Russian culture so much they are buying every piece of military equipment they can get their hands on.

But damn you if you tell them not to set up a tent at a goofy festival. Damn you to hell.

You are confusing culture with tyrannical political leaders

[ruffy71]

Then why did Wimbledon ask Russian and Belarussian players to stay home last year. Agree with it or not, it's not so simple as to say it is confusing culture with a tyrranical leader.

There will be lots of future festivals, and I sincerely hope Russia once and for all get its act together, so people can celebrate their culture around the world, including our little fesitval, travel to Russia, exchange students. All of it.

But I am not going to get upset if things get off track a bit when there is a war going on.

[Stinky Buffalo]

...and cue the reparations in about fifty years or so...

[EZM]

This might be a little complex for people to understand UNLESS you look under the surface and think a little deeper.

Banning Russian athletes from competitions, Not displaying Russian art at international art festival or banning cultural pavilions may SEEM like the organizers are punishing the athletes, artists or cultural groups HOWEVER it's the symbolism of exclusion and opposition to what the leaders and politicians of that country are doing which is the message here.

If these athletes, artists and people are impacted by their exclusion - it may serve as a way for them to put pressure on their own tyrannical governments to stop doing what they are doing. Pressure from expats and others, in today's age of social media can be a powerful tool used to influence the support (or opposition) to what their leaders are doing.

Is it virtue signaling? ..... you bet it is ...... is it for the right reasons? ..... in this case (and many others) it is.

The term virtue signaling has negative connotations because many do it with disingenuous self serving mandates (like Trudeau) - but when used as an effective tool for the right reasons it can have a huge impact.

So, yeah, I agree with SNS, this is the right move.

The intent is not to punish good people (like KGB or any other expat) but, instead, it may serve to mobilize influencers to bring an end to this terrible regime's atrocities as they continue to destroy a country, kill civilians and destabilize an entire region for what?????

At some point you have to believe the tens of thousands of mothers of poorly trained and equipped (often unwilling) Russian soldiers might be upset with this. Sending your sons to die to support a Regime that kills as many of their own as it does "the enemy" for nothing.

If banning a tennis player or pavilion get us one small step closer to ending this atrocity .... then I'm in favor of it.

Heck I bet SNS would even sit and have a beer with KGB without any incident I volunteer to be there to break them up if they do decide to rumble

[sns2]

Originally Posted by EZM

… Heck I bet SNS would even sit and have a beer with KGB without any incident I volunteer to be there to break them up if they do decide to rumble

KGB no more voted for Putin than I voted for Trudeau.

KGB would be my welcome at my table any time as an honoured guest.

But me no like Sala, so it would be all his

I did put out feelers to member of my family who is EPS. He knew nothing of the specific threats, so couldn’t comment.

There are no winners in this war except the arms industry.

The rest is human shrapnel.

Russian and Ukrainian.

Bleeding the same color of blood.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by ruffy71

Then why did Wimbledon ask Russian and Belarussian players to stay home last year. Agree with it or not, it's not so simple as to say it is confusing culture with a tyrranical leader.

There will be lots of future festivals, and I sincerely hope Russia once and for all get its act together, so people can celebrate their culture around the world, including our little fesitval, travel to Russia, exchange students. All of it.

But I am not going to get upset if things get off track a bit when there is a war going on.

You are confusing actual Russians with Canadians with Russian ancestry.

[tirebob]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

you are confusing actual russians with canadians with russian ancestry.

100%!

[ruffy71]

No I’m saying that you can try to split this hair but you cannot separate a culture from the country it comes from. The pavillions are all festooned with the flags the colours, and the symbology of the countries they come from.

Anywhoo this has reached the point where we all say the same things over and over again, so I will bow out.

[58thecat]

Where is this thread going?

Senseless like the invasion itself unless you have something to gain and something to fight for.

We sit here and spew like we feel the pain but do we?

I think not!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sns2]

Originally Posted by ruffy71

No I’m saying that you can try to split this hair but you cannot separate a culture from the country it comes from. The pavillions are all festooned with the flags the colours, and the symbology of the countries they come from.

Anywhoo this has reached the point where we all say the same things over and over again, so I will bow out.

I think we covered from Milk River to Hay River and back again.

Have a great weekend boys!

I’m going fishing to Cold Lake for the very first time in my life. Never caught a Laker before. Guess that makes me a Wirgin

[tirebob]

Been discussed into circles now. Overall a decent conversation between member but let's move on before it gets sidetracked and closed for the wrong reasons.