Edmonton Heritage Festival back with 68 pavilions and questions about inclusion

Edmonton Journal

07-07-2025

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In previous years, the festival made headlines after it blocked the return of the Russian pavilion. Though the official reason cited was 'security concerns,' the move followed a public demand from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) that Russian participation be suspended due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
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Critics called the move a troubling precedent – one that punished local volunteers for the actions of a government thousands of kilometres away. Festival insiders at the time told Postmedia the decision stemmed from rising tensions and an inability to find a compromise that satisfied both groups.
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The issue was further complicated by calls for the Russian group to denounce the war or stop selling politically themed merchandise – conditions it ultimately refused. The group has since said it will not reapply to participate, citing frustration and a lack of support.
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The UCC in Edmonton says efforts to separate cultural expression from global conflict must also consider the lived experiences of diaspora communities, particularly when those communities feel directly threatened by geopolitical aggression.
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'Yes, we would (still oppose a Russian pavilion),' Dmytro Petrushchajk, president of UCC in Edmonton, told Postmedia.
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'Given the ongoing war and Russia's continued attempts to erase Ukrainian identity and culture, we believe it would be morally inappropriate to host a pavilion promoting Russian culture at this time. Cultural celebrations should not whitewash or ignore the aggressive actions of a state actively engaged in cultural and physical destruction.'
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Petrushchajk said the absence of a Russian pavilion in recent years may mark the beginning of an important precedent — one that the multicultural community should reflect on with both moral clarity and cultural sensitivity.
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The Russian group did not apply for 2025, Rohatyn confirmed.
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Russian Heritage Cultural Development Association did not respond to Postmedia's email by the time of publication.
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Tensions lessen in 2025
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While festival organizers hoped last year's controversy was a one-time storm, new political flare-ups have put that optimism to the test.
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The Palestinian and Israel pavilions are both returning this year, with both communities emphasizing cultural pride over politics, even amid war.
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'Yes, we absolutely are (returning), and it's very important to us,' said Randa Alhijawi, president of the Canada Palestine Cultural Association. 'We see the festival as a way to connect with our community and show support to our Palestinian community. It's an expression of how we honour the resilience of our community in this festival.'
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Alhijawi described last year's experience as 'really, really sad and bittersweet,' noting that many in the Edmonton Palestinian community lost loved ones in Gaza.
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'I have a dancer in the dance group who will be performing – she lost her complete family… grandparents, cousins, everybody she knows is gone.'
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Still, she said the pavilion will focus on culture and community.
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'We are celebrating our culture, regardless of who's participating in the festival… We are definitely part of this. We want to make sure that everybody enjoys the festival and comes to visit us.'
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The Jewish Federation of Edmonton also confirmed its participation.
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'We have not missed a year since we started over 25 years ago,' said CEO Stacey Leavitt-Wright. 'We always look forward to this as an opportunity to engage people to people, Edmontonians to Edmontonians, about Israel, and to share love for the country. And we're looking forward to it.'
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Asked about safety, she noted, 'Unfortunately, for Jewish Canadians across the country, security is an essential and integrated part of absolutely everything we do as a community, and that has not changed… This is not the place to engage in those kinds of conversations, that's not what this festival is about.'
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'There should be no place for antisemitism at this festival. There should be no place for that in Alberta,' Leavitt-Wright added.
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A test for multiculturalism
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At its best, the Heritage Festival is a joyful, chaotic, delicious collision of traditions, where visitors can sample Egyptian falafel, watch Ukrainian dancers, and leave with a Peruvian bag stuffed with Trinidadian spices. And organizers say they want to keep it that way.
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But critics argue that avoiding political realities entirely may no longer be possible, especially when diaspora communities are directly affected by wars, protests, and displacement.
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'This is a challenging question,' said Dr. Sandeep Agrawal, associate dean and professor at the University of Alberta. 'Events like the Edmonton Heritage Festival highlight the vibrant multicultural fabric of Edmonton and, more broadly, of Canada. In today's climate of global tensions, ongoing conflicts… it is difficult for cultural festivals to remain entirely apolitical.'
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'Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, with nearly one-quarter of its population being foreign-born. Many members of these diasporic communities carry emotional ties and geopolitical concerns from their countries of origin. As a result, diaspora tensions have become more visible and, at times, more complex,' he added. 'Navigating diaspora tensions requires careful planning, open dialogue, and a commitment to ensuring that such events remain spaces for unity and celebration, rather than division.'
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For their part, festival organizers say they're trying to do just that.
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'We focus our attention on culture,' Rohatyn said. 'It can be difficult, given the events of the world… but that is what our festival is all about – bringing people together and celebrating multiculturalism.'