Neighbour Day in Calgary 🏡 Neighbour Day is a celebration of community, connection, and the spirit of helping one another. It’s a day to acknowledge and appreciate the neighbours who make our communities stronger, kinder, and more supportive. How will you celebrate Neighbour Day? -Host a block party or BBQ 🍔 -Check in on a neighbour 💬 -Volunteer for a local cause 🤝 Let’s continue to build a community where everyone belongs. ❤️ (fb)

Today marks the Summer Solstice, a significant time for reflection and celebration across many cultures! First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people across Canada commonly celebrate the Summer Solstice with traditional ceremonies, dances, songs, feasts, and land activities, as well as modern ways of celebrating community. The celebrations focus on welcoming the warm weather and giving thanks for the abundance of life. During Nipowa (summer), when the sun is at its highest peak and when the saskatoon berries have ripened, the Blackfoot people gather together to observe the Ookan, or medicine lodge, to acknowledge their relationship with Naatosi and Iini, the sun and the buffalo. It is understood that Naatosi and Iini sustain the life of the Niitsitapi, the Blackfoot People. The Blackfoot people express respect and gratitude through ceremonies and songs, rebalancing relationships with the natural world to restore balance and health. The Ookan is sacred, and many Blackfoot people set up a communal camp to witness this celebration of life and to partake in spiritual blessings. (Resources: “Stories of the Siksika” Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park; “Akak’stiman” Reg Crowshoe and Sybille Manneschmidt) (fb)