After weeks of relentless rain, the sun finally broke through just in time for the opening of KDays, Edmonton’s largest festival, and the annual Premier’s Breakfast that kicks off the event.
Despite the incredibly hot weather, Premier Danielle Smith, Mayor Andrew Knack and other elected officials worked together at Klondike Park, located on the Edmonton EXPO Center grounds, to serve Edmontonians a fresh pancake breakfast before they went off to enjoy opening day.
After putting in their time at the food station, Smith and her fellow politicians spoke about the importance KDays has for the city.
“We are about to launch into one of Alberta’s oldest and most exciting summertime traditions,” said Smith. She reflected on learning of KDays’ rich history, noting its origins trace back to before the creation of the Prairie provinces.
“I learned yesterday that KDays has been going on in one form or another since 1879,” said Smith, “since before we were a province!”
Knack thanked his fellow councillors and the premier for bringing back the pancake breakfast, which took a pause in 2019.
“This is a great way to kick off KDays. It means so much to have the support here.”
Edmonton MP and federal Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski spoke about how traditions like the breakfast are what make Alberta the province that it is.
“We’re bound together by a deep sense of community, and really that’s why we’re all here this morning, including the politicians,” said Olszewski.
Of course, the commonality between everyone’s speeches was the ringing in of KDays. Even with the scorching heat, the first day of the festival was packed with Edmontonians. Thousands of citizens went straight from breakfast into the grounds, which have officially opened for the next 10 days. Inside, festivalgoers can experience classic carnival rides, the unique foods that KDays is known for, and live music from local acts to major artists.
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