Premier Rachel Notley says she supports the Canada Palestine Cultural Association getting its own pavilion at the Edmonton Heritage Festival.
For the third time the association applied for a tent this year and was rejected.
Festival organizers told media earlier last week that the popular event still had 35 applicants and room for only five, and that’s why the Palestinians didn’t get a spot.
Earlier, the Palestinian group said festival organizers told them they didn’t qualify because tents are reserved for countries and states only.
At Hawrelak Park on Monday, Notley encouraged the Palestinian community and festival organizers to continue discussions.
Edmonton’s Arab community stages traditional drama and dance at the heritage festival in Hawrelak Park Monday.
“It’s my hope … that we’ll be able to find a resolution that respects the diversity and the overall value of inclusiveness which this event represents,” she said.
A group of Palestinians in Edmonton hosted its own heritage day party Saturday at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park.
Mahmoud Ghalayeni, one of the organizers, said they want to keep politics out of it and join the festival next year.
Mahmoud Ghalayeni, helped organize a Palestinian heritage day party at Sir Wildfrid Laurier Park Sunday. (CBC)
“The Palestinian community is a very big community in Edmonton,” Ghalayeni said. “We just want to be able to celebrate our heritage and culture wherever we’re living.”
Palestine was included under the Arab heritage tent at the festival, with women selling dishware and clothing from the region.
Ahmed Haymour, a board member on the Arab Friendship Society, said the organization has a general meeting before the festival and invite all Arab cultures to come and volunteer.
“There’s merchandise from most of the Arab countries,” he said. “We try our best.”
About a dozen volunteers sold crafts from Palestine at the Arab Heritage tent.