Support troops theme causes social group to drop float from Canada Day parade

Canadian Press
Published: Saturday, July 01, 2006

VICTORIA (CP) - "The annual Canada Day parade in the seaside community of Parksville will have one less float Saturday because a local group opposes what it calls the American-dominated military theme of this year's parade.

The decision to sell T-shirts, for $10 each, was made to raise money to offset parade costs and send a message to Canadians serving in the military that people in Parksville were thinking about them on Canada Day, said chamber president Cheryl Dill on Tuesday.

But the Oceanside Coalition for Strong Communities says the T-shirts are an open endorsement of American military policy, which many Canadians do not support even though Canadian troops are stationed in Afghanistan.

The coalition had no choice but to pull its float - a puppet show popular with children - in protest from the Parksville parade, spokesman Rick Sullivan said." Read more.