Here is what to know about Medicine Hat’s Elbows Up rally on Saturday

A rally promoting Canadian unity may come off more politically now than in years previous amid a reinvigorated Alberta independence movement but local Elbows Up organizer Susan Sakamoto knows that’s not how everything thinks.

“That’s where we come from, and we know that there are many people who are more perhaps conservative than we are, who feel the same,” Sakamoto said.

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“People who want to be positive about our country, not come at everything from a hostile viewpoint. We want to emphasize what we love about Canada, how we want to remain Canada.”

Sakamoto’s husband Stan Sakamoto ran as the Liberal candidate in Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner’s 2016 federal byelection. They are still active Liberal supporters.

Elbows Up’ will include inspiring speeches, live music, and community engagement activities aimed at fostering conversation and connection.

Betty Aitkan, another organizer, said all parties are talking about being a “sovereign Canada.”

She said the event invites everyone in Medicine Hat to open up discussion and share thoughts and ideas.

“What we can do to grow and build, and build bridges with one another,” Aitkan said in a recent interview.

“That’s the hope, is that we can start to feel that we are all part of one Canada. That the divisiveness is not- take away the power of that, and attempt to work with the positives,” she added.

“We all want health and wellness, we all want the best for our families. And that’s what we want to share with the community on Saturday.”

The “Elbows Up, Canada” rally runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Riverside Veterans Memorial Park. It’s open to anyone from the public.

by Eli J. Ridder, Jayk Sterkenburg

Here is what to know about Medicine Hat’s Elbows Up rally on Saturday

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