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This year’s design is meant to commemorate the RCMP’s 150th Anniversary with the 150 logo etched into the corn maze alongside a Mountie saluting
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Organizers of the Edmonton Corn Maze have issued an apology online for their design commemorating the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) 150th anniversary.
Designers of the popular summer and fall attraction, located on Maskekosihk Trail just southwest of Edmonton, have unveiled a new maze every year since 2001, with the Edmonton Elks being featured last year and others honoured in years past including the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation in 2019, and Edmonton-based video game company Bioware in 2017.
This year’s design is meant to commemorate the RCMP’s 150th anniversary with the 150 logo etched into the corn maze alongside a Mountie saluting.
On Friday, organizers released a statement to their Facebook page apologizing for the design.
“We recognize that our approach did not adequately take into account the hurt and harm that the RCMP’s history has caused in different communities,” the statement reads. “We acknowledge that such a portrayal may be perceived as insensitive and dismissive of these valid issues. We are sorry.”
The post was subsequently removed from social media posts Sunday afternoon. In an email Sunday, Edmonton Corn Maze owner and operator Jesse Kraay said the initial message was missing their support for the RCMP, and law enforcement in general, and committed to “better messaging and acknowledgements for everyone” moving forward.
“We posted a statement on Friday in response to some of the initial feedback that we received from our maze design,” Kraay said. “We thought it was important to acknowledge the sometimes problematic history of the RCMP and the impact it has had on different communities over the past 150 years.”
“We in no way wanted to diminish or devalue the good work that they do. The maze design recognizes this 150-year milestone. We thank them for their service.”
Feedback to the initial apology varied with some thanking organizers while others described the statement as “unnecessary.”
“The decision to support the RCMP of today does not mean you condone the actions of past RCMP. No need to apologize,” wrote Bonnie L. Vreugdenhil in a comment.
“Actions of today. They are still causing harm,” Jennifer Anneliese wrote in a reply post.
The maze is open from July 26 to Oct. 22. Tickets can be purchased at edmontoncornmaze.ca/tickets.
