Early rise for those attending Pope's mass near Quebec City during Canadian visit
Those with tickets to attend the Pope's mass northeast of Quebec City at the end of this month will have a very early start to their day, but a spokesman who questioned whether the schedule would be too hard on Indigenous elders now says it's the best plan.
Organizers for the papal visit to Quebec said only shuttle buses from two designated locations at Videotron Centre or Mont-Ste-Anne will ferry people to the shrine of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre, northeast of Quebec City, for the July 28 mass.
No vehicles will be permitted on the site and people are being asked to line up at 4 a.m. for the shuttles that will only run between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., with a lengthy wait for the mass, which begins at 10 a.m.
At a briefing last week, Jasmin Lemieux-Lefebvre, a spokesman for the visit and liaison with the Indigenous communities in Quebec, said he wondered if asking residential school survivors, many of whom are elders, to arrive early for shuttles was excessive.
"I didn't know if it was too much to ask," Lemieux-Lefebvre said, adding he's now convinced the plan is the best one. "We've done the maximum to find the right balance between security and a decent, important welcome for all the survivors of Indigenous residential schools."
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Canada July 24-29, travelling to Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut. A major theme of his visit is reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples for abuse suffered in residential schools -- many of which were run by Catholic clergy.
About 1,600 people will be permitted inside the shrine for the event, with about 10,000 on the grounds watching on big screens. Seventy per cent of the tickets are reserved for Indigenous communities and about 2,000 tickets for the general public were snapped up in about 10 minutes.
"If you don't have a ticket, for the love of God, don't show up at Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre," said Benoit Thibault, head of the Quebec organizing committee, describing the plans for the events as a "major logistics operation."
Given the long wait, organizers are encouraging attendees to bring food, a camping chair, parasols and coolers with refreshments. Psychological support services will be offered for Indigenous participants. A small field hospital will also be set up to provide the necessary medical care as well as sanitary facilities.
Pope Francis is expected on site about 45 minutes before the event and will deliver the mass in Spanish, his first language.
Big screens on site outside will offer subtitles in French and English. Through the website of the Pope's official visit, the mass will be translated into a dozen Indigenous languages.
For those without a ticket, they'll be able to watch live at the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City. Guzzo Cinemas, an independent movie theatre chain in Quebec, will also broadcast the event live at 143 screens at its Montreal-area theatres.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
NEW What a wildfire survivor says she regrets not grabbing before leaving home
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
World No. 1 golfer charged with police officer assault before PGA Championship second round
World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested and charged with the assault of a police officer in what he called a 'chaotic situation' before being released in time to start his second round at the PGA Championship on Friday.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
B.C. optometrist warns against trending eye colour change procedure
A medical procedure that can permanently change a person's eye colour may be trending on social media, but a B.C. optometrist is warning about the significant risks associated.