11-day festival to celebrate Canada’s 150th
A festival commemorating Canada’s 150th birthday is expected to bring thousands of revellers to the Inner Harbour for 11 days of free shows next month, including concerts by multiple Juno Award winners the Arkells and Tegan and Sara.
Spirit of 150 Victoria features more than 100 free performances on two stages beginning June 21. The family-friendly, multicultural event culminates with concerts and a Canada Day fireworks display on July 1, which is expected to draw an audience of 100,000.
“This is the biggest event that the City of Victoria has put on in the Inner Harbour,” said Deb Beaton-Smith, project manager for the event. “For the 11-day period, we expect 250,000 people. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
The event’s main stage will run for two days on the legislature lawn, with performances by Tegan and Sara (June 30) and the Arkells (July 1), among others. Most of the other events will be at Ship Point, where 11 consecutive days of performances will be offered. Bands booked include Delhi 2 Dublin, the Funk Hunters and Valdy. First Nations and francophone culture will be showcased on several occasions.
Atomique Productions is producing the event for the City of Victoria in partnership with the Greater Victoria Spirit Committee. The same crew was responsible for the Spirit of 150 Victoria First Night event on New Year’s Eve.
All the Canada 150 events in Victoria are being staged with a total of $624,000 from the Canadian Heritage Canada 150 Fund.
Victoria is one of 19 municipalities across Canada to receive funds.
Alan Lowe, chairman of the Greater Victoria Spirit Committee, is expecting Spirit of 150 Victoria to mirror the programming for the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games, which drew between 30,000 and 60,000 people for its daily Inner Harbour entertainment. “I remember on the evenings when they had the main stage [at the Games], it was wallto-wall people along Belleville and Government streets,” he said. “This will be as busy this year.”
Food and beverage vendors will be at each event, with a liquor licence at Ship Point.
The stage will be active from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on most days, with additional hours on weekends.
For the June 30 and July 1 events, stages at Ship Point and the legislature lawn will be in operation. Organizers hope to attract a record 5,000 participants during the Living Flag ceremony, which precedes the fireworks display on July 1.
Lowe, a former Victoria mayor, likes what Spirit of 150 Victoria brings to the area. “It’s a boon for tourism, especially because Canada Day lands on a Saturday,” he said. “That weekend will be busy.”
A full schedule will be available in the coming weeks. For more information, visit Spirit150Victoria.ca.