Our top picks for celebrating Canada
It’s finally here, Canada Day long weekend. Not sure how to fete our nation’s big 1-5-0? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. From family-friendly extravaganzas to stage performances, here are 50 events (some of them free) to check out this weekend.
CANADA DAY EVENTS Canada 150 Atlantic to Pacific Drumming Celebration
Creekside Park, Vancouver | 10 a.m. Free: canada150drumming.com A simultaneous national drumming celebration aims to achieve a Guinness world record while celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation and the success of Canadian multiculturalism. All are invited to participate in this once-in-a-life-time experience.
Canada Day at Canada Place
Canada Place, Vancouver | From 10 a.m. Free: canadaplace.ca Highlights include five performance stages featuring Sam Roberts, Fefe Dobson, Emerson Drive, Hey Ocean!, Dragonette, Madeline Merlo and The Matinee, plus a multi-community fireworks show (July 1); a pancake breakfast, and a parade through downtown Vancouver (July 2).
Canada Day with Steven Page
Swangard Stadium, Burnaby | From 5 p.m. Free: burnaby.ca/canadaday The City of Burnaby hosts a free concert and fireworks display to mark Canada’s 150th birthday. Highlights include headliner Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies), activities, exhibitors and spectacular fireworks for the grand finale.
Surrey Canada Day
Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre, Surrey | From 10 a.m. Free: surrey.ca Celebrate Canada’s 150th with lots of family-friendly events, including performances from headliners Hedley, Chilliwack and Magic!, amusement rides, a Canada 150 zone, a zip line, a strawberry tea for seniors, Science World demonstrations, a spectacular fireworks finale.
Crab Park 30th Annual Festival
Crab Park, Vancouver | 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Free: facebook.com Celebrate the 30th anniversary of the waterfront park in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Local acts include The Jesse Waldman Trio, Sinead Sanders with Double D & Sandy Bone, and The Mike Van Eyes Band, plus a First Nations opening ceremony, speakers, a water park and face painting for the kids.
Canada Day on Granville Island
Granville Island, Vancouver | From 9 a.m. Free: granvilleisland.com Granville Island goes all out to present a day full of entertainment, music, spectacle, food, fun activities, street entertainment, and more to celebrate Canada’s special birthday.
Canada Day at Burnaby Village Museum
Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby | 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free: Carousel rides $2.65, burnabyvillagemuseum.ca Celebrate Canada’s birthday with the museum’s backdrop of its 1920s village streets. The multicultural family entertainment including musicians, entertainers, displays and demonstrations.
Coquitlam Celebrates Canada Day
Town Centre Park, Coquitlam | From 12 p.m. Free: coquitlam.ca/canadaday There will be a special focus on Canadian music this year, including the Soundtrack Canada tribute to Canadian singers and songwriters, and a Canadian-themed battle of the bands headlining act featuring Off the Record vs. The Ticket. Audience members will vote for their favourite, and both bands will lead the singing of O Canada before the fireworks finale at 10 p.m.
Canada Day at Fort Langley
Fort Langley National Historic Site, Fort Langley | From 11 a.m. Free: pc.gc.ca Celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday at the site where British Columbia was born. Enjoy multicultural music, cake and a ceremony at noon, and family activities. Fort Langley’s celebration continues at the neighbouring Langley Centennial and the B.C. Farm Machinery and Agricultural museums.
Canada Day in Steveston
Steveston, Richmond | From 10 a.m. Free: richmondcanadaday.com The City of Richmond is hosting this birthday party featuring a street party throughout Steveston Village. A headline performance by Juno Award-winners Wintersleep and fireworks over the Fraser River will cap off the celebrations.
Langley Canada Day JRBQ
Willoughby Community Park, Langley | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free: tol.ca The Township of Langley, Langley Events Centre, and 93.7 JRfm present a wide variety of activities, community vendors, live entertainment on two stages, food trucks, and a barbecue to benefit Basics for Babies. Bring your family to the action-packed kids zone that features face painting, mini golf, trackless trains, arts and crafts, inflatables and games.
Canada Day by the Bay
White Rock Beach, White Rock | From 10 a.m. Free: whiterockcity.ca Enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities including live music, a kids zone with games and activities, the White Rock Firefighters charity barbecue, 80-plus vendors, and a fireworks finale.
My Canada, My Maple Ridge
Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge | From 10 a.m. Free: mapleridge.ca A colour guard party leads a parade into the park at the start of the formal protocol ceremony and awards presentations. Enjoy three stages presenting arts, culture, music and dance; plus activities, a farmer’s market, fire department community barbecue; children’s games, and more.
Red and White Picnic
John Lawson Park, West Vancouver | From 2 p.m. Free: westvancouver.ca Bring a blanket or a lawn chair, pack a picnic or choose from a variety of food vendors and enjoy a pleasant evening of fresh air, amazing views and live entertainment.
Canada Day in Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay Park, West Vancouver | From 7 p.m. Free: westvancouver.ca Join Karen Fowlie and Friends for a free concert recognizing Canadian women in song. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy a musical journey beginning with music by Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray and Sarah McLachlan as well as tributes to Leonard Cohen and The Tragically Hip.
Canada Day at the Peak of Vancouver
Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver | From 9.30 a.m. Tickets and info: From $45, grousemountain.com Try your hand at axe-throwing and show off your hockey skills at the puck shootout. Take in Canadian movie classics in the Theatre in the Sky, enjoy live music, and catch the special Canada 150 edition of the World Famous Lumberjack Show, or be part of history as organizers attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest human maple leaf.
North Shore Canada Day Parade
North Vancouver | From 7:30 a.m. Free: canadadaynorthshore.org Kick the morning off with the Lions Club’s popular pancake breakfast before the parade (East 13th, Lonsdale Avenue, West 17th) and stick around after for the North Vancouver Royal Canadian Legion’s barbecue.
North Vancouver Celebrates Canada’s 150th
Waterfront Park, North Vancouver | From 12 p.m. Free: northvancanadaday.com From noon to 4 p.m. enjoy main stage entertainment featuring live music and dance performances, roving performers, food trucks, lots of family-friendly activities and more. An evening event will run from 6:30 p.m.10:30 p.m., featuring an outdoor concert, a number of Vancouver’s favourite food trucks, a beer garden featuring Red Truck Brewing, and a great location from which to watch Vancouver’s Canada Day fireworks.
Chilliwack Canada Day 150
Townsend Park, Chilliwack | From 8 a.m. Free: chilliwackartscouncil.com Start your morning with a delicious pancake breakfast (8 a.m., $5) at the Evergreen Hall, followed by lots of family-friendly activities at Townsend Park from 11 a.m., including crafts, bouncy castles and a ride-on train. Catch a performance at the Prospera Community Stage, browse the pop-up market and get something to eat one of the local food trucks. The evening’s festivities from 6 p.m. feature musical performances, Canada Day ceremonies and a fireworks finale.
New Westminster Canada Day
Queen’s Park band shell, New Westminster | 11:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. Free: newwestcity.ca Activities or the entire family include arts and heritage workshops, community groups presentations and diverse performances that celebrate the story of Canada.
Canada Day in Delta, Ladner and & Tsawwassen
Chalmers Park, North Delta; Kirkland House, Ladner; Diefenbaker Park, Tsawwassen | Various times Free: delta.ca Celebrate in a big 150th birthday way at three celebrations around the Delta area. At Chalmers Park in North Delta there will be fireworks, children’s activities, barbecue food vendors, live music and an official ceremony. At Kirkland House in Ladner there will be live music, children’s rides and games, a family picnic, and a performance by the Delta Police Pipe Band. And check out Diefenbaker Park in Tsawwassen for hotdogs and drinks, birthday cake, live entertainment, face painting, and an official ceremony and cake cutting.
Canada Day Cook Out
Olympic Village, Vancouver | 1-8 p.m. Tickets and info: From $10, yvrfoodfest.com This is a gigantic outdoor party with local music, food, and beer. Includes performances by singer-songwriter Jessicka, pop-punk artists Supermoon, dream pop group Jody Glenham and the Dreamers, new wave act Gang Signs, tropical indie pop band Leisure Club, and 10-piece afrobeat outfit Camaro 67.
Port Moody’s Canada 150 Zone
Rocky Point Park, Port Moody | From 11 a.m. Free: portmoody.ca Spend the day at beautiful Rocky Point Park, hang out with recreation staff playing games and winning prizes, join in a community art project with one of the community partners, or try your hand at ring toss and minigolf. The evening brings a concert featuring Canadian rock legends, Trooper, followed by a spectacular fireworks show over Burrard Inlet.
Mount Lehman Canada Day Parade
6418 Mount Lehman Rd., Abbotsford | From 8 a.m. Free: Facebook.com Celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in historic Mount Lehman, and enjoy the annual Canada Day parade, this year it features pets.
VSO in Whistler
Whistler celebrates the entire week with street entertainment, special events and free concerts, including a performance from Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on Canada Day. Also featuring crafts, a parade through the Village Stroll, and cake. Free: whistler.com Canada Day at West Coast Railway Heritage Park
West Coast Railway Heritage Park, Squamish | 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Free: wcra.org Celebrations include speeder rides, mini rail steam, electric and gas engines — each with a story of Canada. Fun zone with minigolf, face painting, bouncy castle and lots more fun for the kids. Take a historic walking tour and hear the story of how the railways built Canada.
Vancouver Maritime Museum: 150th Celebration
Vancouver Maritime Museum, Vancouver | From 10 a.m. Tickets and info: $1.50, vancouvermaritimemuseum. com Celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with fun familyfriendly crafts and activities. Experience multicultural Stories on Wheels with Pangaea Arts (10 a.m.-noon), get creative with a fishing boat printmaking workshop for children led by WePress (noon-4 p.m.), and explore the RCMP Vessel St. Roch, a National Historic Site of Canada.
Dominion Day and Community Celebration Day
Kilby Historic Site, Harrison Mills | From 11 a.m. By donation: kilby.ca Celebrate Confederation by exploring your local history. Take a guided tour at noon or 2 p.m. and hear the whole story of Harrison Mills and the Kilby Family, then join us under the willow tree for a tasty barbecue.
Hope Canada Day 2017
Memorial and Sixth Avenue parks, Hope | From 8.30 a.m. Free: hopebc.ca Day activities in Memorial Park will include the Hope Motorsports Group classic car show, a kids zone with games, face painting, and live music. In the evening, head over to Sixth Avenue Park for, live music, activities and a fireworks finale.
Vancouver Convention Centre open house
Canada Place | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free: vancouverconventioncentre.com Explore the world’s first LEED Platinum-certified convention centre, learn about the facility’s many features including its marine habitat and six-acre living roof, visit the Event Expo, and participate in fun family-friendly activities.
FESTIVALS YYR Food Fest
June 29-July 3 | Olympic Village, Vancouver Tickets and info: From $10, yvrfoodfest.com This weekend-long celebration of food culture includes local and international culinary talent collaborating on a long table dinner, a giant outdoor brunch, a food-centric TED Talks-style speaker series, and the flagship Street Food Showdown, a gathering of 80-plus food carts, restaurants, wineries and breweries.
41st annual Golden Spike Days Festival
June 30-July 3 | Rocky Point Park, Port Moody Free: goldenspike.ca This community festival has something for the whole family: Live entertainment from the Port Moody Can Can Dancers, local bands and headliners Trooper; plus food, arts and crafts, interactive activities, a youth talent competition and a variety of craft beer vendors.
Dominion Days Festival
July 1, 2, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Historic Stewart Farm, Surrey Free: surrey.ca Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday at the Historic Stewart Farm and party like it’s 1899 at this throwback event reviving Dominion Days. Enjoy live music, dance performances, carnival games, crafts and more.
Steveston Salmon Festival
July 1, from 6.30 am | Steveston, Richmond Free: stevestonsalmonfest.ca Celebrate with a pancake breakfast, followed by the kids bike parade at 9:30 a.m. then the big Canada Day Parade at 10 a.m. The festival kicks off at noon and includes an opening ceremony, Japanese cultural show, trade show, horticultural show, children and youth festival, demonstrations, a food fair and artisan gallery, an inflatable carnival and midway, and food trucks. The main attraction is the salmon barbecue, where more than 1200 pounds of wild salmon fillets are grilled over open fire pits ($16).
Canada 150+ Murals
July 1-July 31 | Various venues in Vancouver Free: canada150plus.ca Murals and other artworks by First Nations artists are appearing around Vancouver this summer. Chosen by a selection panel, the works contemplate the city, its defining features, and their relationship to significant cultural sites.
KIDS/FAMILY Canada 150 Parade
July 2, 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. | Downtown Vancouver Free: canadaplace.ca The parade starts at Broughton and West Georgia, travels east along West Georgia, turns north on Burrard, and ends at Burrard and West Pender.
Made In Canada: Inspiring Creativity and Innovation
Until Sept. 4 | World of Science, Vancouver Tickets and info: From $26.75, scienceworld.ca Celebrate Canadian creativity and innovation with this Science World exhibition, where visitors drive the creative process. Get hands-on and build the fastest bobsleigh, construct a piece of Vancouver architecture, or create a Canadian sound mash-up. Vote for your favourite Canadian inventions, test fly a plane of your design, and discover famous (and not-so-famous) Canadian inventions.
Canada 150+: Unbe-LEAF-able Years
July 6, 11 a.m.-noon | Vancouver Public Library, Renfrew Branch Free: vpl.ca Celebrate Canada at the library with a video chat and meet kids on the other side of the country. Take part in fun trivia, and talk about what makes you proud to be Canadian. For grades 2 and up. •
MISCELLANEOUS Fly Over Canada
Daily, 9.30 a.m.-9 p.m. | Canada Place, Vancouver Tickets and info: From $22.95, flyovercanada.com See Canada like never before at this all-ages ride. Take off into a huge domed screen with the latest in projection and ride technology creating a true flying experience that takes you from east to west.
Royal Canadian Mint
Mon-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | 752 Granville St, Vancouver Info: mint.ca To celebrate Canada’s 150th, the Royal Canadian Mint has a special collection of coins. Each represents Canadian identity, collective pride and significant moments.
Uninterrupted
Until Aug. 14, 10 p.m. | Coopers’ Park, Vancouver Free: uninterrupted.ca Witness the migration of wild Pacific salmon in a 30-minute cinematic spectacle that explores the connection between nature and our urban environments. As the sun sets, the undersurface of the Cambie street bridge will transform into a wild river filled with migrating salmon, taking viewers on an immersive journey that has been repeated in B.C. waters for millennia.
Red Serge Days
Tuesdays from July 4 until Aug. 29, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. | Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby Free: burnabyvillagemuseum.ca Celebrate Canada’s 150 by putting yourself in the picture with members of the RCMP in their splendid red serge, and share your photo with #celebrate150: RedSergeDays to be included in a historic album.
FOOD/DRINK Canada 150 afternoon tea
Daily until Sept. 3, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. | Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Tickets and info: From $59, fairmont.com The Fairmont has taken inspiration from their iconic grand railway hotels and the train journey across the country to create this afternoon Tea. A children’s tea is also available.
Hunters & Gatherers, A First Nations Feast
Tuesdays and Sundays, 6 p.m. • | Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Whistler Tickets and info: From $65, shop.slcc.ca Enjoy a delicious indigenous inspired feast complete with a cultural presentation by a world renowned performance team. Accompany a tour guide though the museum to discover stories of the hunters and gatherers who traditionally inhabited the Sea to Sky territory.
STAGE Th’owxiya, The Hungry Feast Dish
July 1,2 at 1 a.m. and 1 p.m. | Roseline Sturdy Amphitheatre, UBC Botanical Gardens Free: axistheatre.com Axis Theatre Company presents a tale by six Kwantlen First Nations storytellers that when you take something from the earth you must give something back.
The Canada Show
June 29, 7 p.m. | Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam Tickets and info: $20, evergreenculturalcentre.ca Three comedic historians try to jam 15,000 years of Canadian history into one hour, including every Canadian Prime Minister in 60 seconds, this show takes you from the Bering Straight to Justin Trudeau in 60 laughpacked minutes. Presented by Monster Theatre.
Oh, Canada — The True North Strong and Funny
Until Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m. | The Improv Centre, Granville Island Tickets and info: $21.75, vtsl.com Vancouver TheatreSports League’s improvisers take a loving and comedic look at what makes Canadians unique, poking fun at the stereotypes. Based on audience suggestions, the cast lampoon such Canadian institutions as Heritage Minutes, the Mounties, winter, our hunky Prime Minister, hockey, lumberjacks or Timmy’s coffee, to name only a few of the endless possibilities.
VISUAL ARTS Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist
Thurs. to Sunday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m., | North Vancouver Museum, North Vancouver Free: nvma.ca Longshoreman, actor, musician, lecturer, poet, activist, environmentalist and First Nations leader Dan George (born Geswanouth Slahoot) is well remembered. Raised on Burrard Indian Reserve #3, the son of hereditary chief George Sla-holt, he spent much of his life working as a longshoreman and logger, with an acting career that began when he was in his 60s. Although focused on George, this exhibition also delves into significant events and individuals in the First Nations rights movement in B.C. and Canada. Closed Canada Day.
Emily Carr: Into the Forest
Until Dec. 3 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver Tickets and info: From $6, vanartgallery.bc.ca Significant as a landscape painter, this selection of artworks, drawn primarily from the gallery’s collection, includes some of Carr’s greatest canvases and oils on paper.
The Pull of the Net: Commercial Fishing in Canada
Until 2019, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Gulf of Georgia Cannery, Richmond Tickets and info: $7.80, gulfofgeorgiacannery.org This exhibition celebrates the stories of the people, places, and achievements of Canada’s commercial cod and salmon fishing industries, and shares the story of how the fishing industry has shaped Canadian identity, from pre-Confederation to modern times.