CELEBRATE CANADA DAY CROSS-COUNTRY
Ottawa having a big 150th-birthday party, but there are events happening everywhere
Canada’s 150th birthday is coming up quickly. It promises to be one heckuva party, so if you haven’t already figured out where to watch the fireworks, you might want to start. Ottawa will be jumping, and probably a little crowded. So here’s a look at what’s happening in other parts of the country.
EDMONTON
The Blues on Whyte Block Party on Whyte Avenue will feature three bands and a DJ in the beer gardens on June 30. On July 2, wake up with a free pancake breakfast while rocking out to nine bands on three stages. Sarah McLachlan will play at the new Rogers Place on July 1. The Fairmont Macdonald Hotel’s Confederation Lounge will offer a special Canada 150 menu, as well as bocce ball and other games. They’ll finish things off with a fireworks show and light show on the High Level Bridge.
KINGSTON
Kick things off by dressing up in your finest red-and-white costume for an 11:30 a.m. parade. Head down to the water to watch red-and-white bedecked boats do a sailpast, then check out the live music scene, ferris wheel, wagon rides and fireworks.
WINNIPEG
Canad Inns Family Fun Day in Assiniboine Park starts at 1 p.m. with events and activities for kids and families, plus musical entertainment. The night is finished off with a “spectacular fireworks display set to music.” Down at The Forks in central Winnipeg, visitors can expect lots of free, family-friendly programming on five stages. A powwow and indigenous storytelling will take place at the Oodena Celebration Circle.
VANCOUVER
Canada Place will be the focal point for a massive Canada Day party. Musical performers include Sam Roberts and Emerson Drive. There’s also a downtown Vancouver parade and a “multi-community” fireworks extravaganza that officials say will be visible all over the Lower Mainland. If you’d rather be in a more natural setting, check out the activities on Grouse Mountain, including a hockey puck shootout and axe-throwing.
MONTREAL
Not only is it Canada’s 150th, but it’s also 50 years since Expo 67, the World’s Fair in Montreal. They’ll mark the occasion with a grand fireworks and music display that features everything from cabaret to reggae at La Ronde at Jean-Drapeau Park.
REGINA
Sure, there are fireworks and community events. But the big thing is that Canada Day marks the first regular-season CFL game at the new Mosaic Stadium, the gleaming new home of the much beloved (and then some) Saskatchewan Roughriders.
NEW BRUNSWICK
In Moncton, the Canada Day concert begins at 4 p.m. and includes local Acadian legends Bois Joli, Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea and more. Check out Riverfront Park in downtown Moncton for the best seats for fireworks. In the capital of Fredericton, check out the Canada Day parade and the fireworks.
TORONTO
The CN Tower will celebrate with a fireworks show starting at 10:30 p.m. The Blue Jays will give a red replica Jays hat to the first 20,000 fans in attendance on July 1, and a Blue Jays and Canada 150 commemorative baseball on July 2. Concerts will be held on Canada Day at Nathan Phillips Square, as well as at Mel Lastman Square, the Scarborough Civic Centre and Humber Bay Park West.
HALIFAX
Celebrate the big day at the historic Halifax Citadel. Things get started with the firing of the city’s iconic noon gun, followed by a 21-gun salute. They’ll have choirs, bands, performances by the 78th Highlanders and a military Canada Day Parade. Free pancake breakfast on the Dartmouth waterfront on Canada Day morning.
CALGARY
Look for daylong celebrations at Fort Calgary, including a petting zoo for kids, a historic North West Mounted Police patrol camp and band and a food truck caravan. Some 4,000 Calgarians also will form a giant human flag. On the music side, look for 1,500 guitarists to meet up at Olympic Plaza to play the iconic Four Strong Winds by Ian Tyson. Tegan and Sara will headline a concert on Riverfront Avenue.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
There’s no better way to welcome Canada’s birthday on P.E.I. than heading up to Skinner’s Pond to take part in the opening of the new Stompin’ Tom Connors Centre. Down in Charlottetown, the birthplace of Confederation, they’ll be featuring a Tall Ships regatta, a cultural artisan pop-up market, special Confederation Centre performances. There’s also a Canada Day boat parade in North Rustico.
LONDON, ONT.
The city’s Sesquifest runs June 29 to July 3 and features lots of great music, including Canadian band Sloan on July 2 and Hollerado on June 29.