Senator Paula Simons 🇨🇦
@senatorpaulasimons
I am an independent Senator, representing Alberta in the Senate of Canada. I live on Treaty Six Territory. Host of the podcast Alberta Unbound. She/her/elle Vive le Canada. Forever a Canadian. senatorpaulasimons.ca
Update: this weekend, my one-and-only OG actual really-truly husband and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. He remains an international man of mystery, whose identity continues to baffle AI. 😉
This is my favourite kind of Folkfest moment. A local Metis fiddler, Brianna Lizotte and her band, jamming with Daby Toure, a Mauritanian-Québécois guitarist and singer, and with the Madalitso Band from Malawi. Magical.
A meteorology miracle at Gallagher Park for the second night of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. #yeg #yegfolkfest #Edmonton #efmf
Why yes. It is 8:25 pm and I am indeed at Hawrelak Park, where the party is running overtime, to make up for Sunday’s abrupt closure! Some booths have run out of food, but the music is still pumping.
And third prize goes to Romania, who always have a tight, intense dance show.
Second prize this year goes to Palestine, for a high energy narrative dance and drum show that rocked the park and got the crowd dancing.
And now - I announce this year’s official entertainment winners! First prize this year goes to the Philippines, who featured a diverse line up of music, dance and a fashion show! #yeg #yegheritagefest #Edmonton
Ecuador always has a beautiful show. (They were the 3rd place finishers in 2025.)
Amazing audience participation at the Japan pavilion too! (Maybe you can’t call it “audience” participation, with so many people taking part.) The Edmonton Japanese community was one of the original 11 Heritage Festival founders #yeg #yegheritage
Next door, Cameroon’s dancers were working to get the some game volunteers from the crowd into the act! #yeg #yegheritage
The Heritage Festival entertainment judging is over - and I’ll announce the winners as soon as I’m allowed. But meantime, I’m back in the park “freelance” - catching shows that other judges marked on Saturday. It is cool but sunny, and the park is pulsing! Here’s Croatia.
Hoping for better things tomorrow. Forecast is 20’C and sunny.
And just before the thunder and lightning- this amazing Mongolian acrobat!
Well. We are now evacuating Hawrelak park, in advance of what is shaping up to be a monster storm. Full credit to ETS, for running a calm and efficient evacuation with a zillion buses. Take care, #yeg.
As the first rain drops sprinkle down, Mongolian dancers perform, undaunted. #yeg #yegheritage #yegheritagefest
You really need to see the video of the Sudanese men dancing, with the sun beams cutting through the cloud. A peak Edmonton moment.
Ok. This was an amazing Nuba dance at the Sudanese pavilion. I’ll post video right below.#yeg #Edmonton #yegheritage
A really intriguing dance from Sudan. The women, carrying swords and shields, entered and danced slowly through the crowd before mounting the stage. #yeg #Edmonton #yegheritage
And a different dance, this one from northern Thailand.
Time for Thailand! #yeg #yegheritage #yegheritagefestival
The Taiwanese pavilion is a “little” less traditional, as dancers perform to Mambo Italiano. Putting the multi in multicultural?! #yeg #yegheritage #Edmonton #Alberta
Kicking off my “work” as a Heritage Festival judge at the Eritrean pavilion! #yeg #yegheritage #yegheritagefestival #Edmonton #Alberta
I don’t know that the Australian pavilion at the Edmonton Heritage Festival has the best food. But it certainly has the cleverest menu write up!
So I apologize now - my feed this weekend will be photos of delectable food and beautiful dancers. If you are seeking gloom and despair, you will need to look elsewhere.