Canada Day in Yellowknife: ‘We are connected. That is the message.’

“I may go a little… this may sound political,” said Stephanie Yuill on a warm, slightly smoky and blustery Canada Day in downtown Yellowknife.

Yuill helped the Multicultural Community of Yellowknife run a festival in Somba K’e Park that celebrated the cultures from all corners of the globe that make up the NWT’s capital and its 23,000 or so inhabitants.

Asked why she felt sharing all of those cultures was important on Canada Day, she tried to pick her words.

“Canada is famous for its multiculturalism,” Yuill said.

“Given everything that’s happening in the world right now, the fact that we can celebrate other people – and the diversity that we have in our world – is so important.

“We all dance, we all sing, we all talk, we all have language, we all have food. There’s so many things that connect us as human beings. And it doesn’t matter what country, what culture you’re from, we are connected, and that is the message today.”

Dancers, musicians and cultural performers took over the park on Wednesday afternoon to a backdrop of global fashion and food.

Yuill estimated just under a dozen nations’ cuisine was served, with representatives of 18 countries performing, from Zimbabwean and Korean music to Cree-Ojibwe dancing.

The Korean segment of the show came from YK-Poppers, Yellowknife’s resident K-pop dance troupe. The group performed songs from hit movie KPop Demon Hunters.

“We had a lot of fun doing it,” said YK-Poppers member Tori Sloan. “It was a little bit nerve-wracking, but I feel like we handled it really well.”

Zimbabwe was represented by hip-hop artist 9 Sixx, who is preparing for the launch of a new EP.

“It’s big,” said 9 Sixx of the chance to perform music influenced by Zimbabwean culture during the Canada Day celebration. “It really means a lot to me.”

Yuill urged anyone who enjoyed the event to “give some love and support” to the Multicultural Community of Yellowknife.

“We’re a small board of volunteers and there were four of us that pulled the organization off,” she said, “so I just want to really give a big shoutout to my fellow coordinators … we are covering the globe today.”