July 1st is the day for Canadians to celebrate 150th anniversary. If you are planning something for this grand day then you can even choose from the list below and find the best ways to the biggest July 1st Canada Day sesquicentennial across the country
Celebrate and party at Ottawa
Ottawa the nation’s capital is leading the way in party planning. With an online countdown to the very second Canada turns 150, Ottawa has a whole year of events planned including world skating competitions down the Rideau Canal, fiery pop-up stunts in public spaces, an enormous picnic on a grass-covered Alexandra Bridge and a long list of wine, food and rural fair experiences. All of this culminates on July 1st at Parliament Hill for the nation’s biggest birthday bash, with flyovers by the Snowbirds, Canada’s air demonstration squad, a giant street party and free concerts and events, many to be held in the new cultural village being built out of sea containers on York Street. There are even rumors that the Queen may attend. For more details see the event website ottawa2017.ca.
Enjoy the concert at Charlottetown
As the birthplace of Confederation, Charlottetown always celebrates Canada Day in a big way, and for 2017 they’ll be cranking it up a notch. A ten-hour concert will showcase Prince Edward Island’s musical talent with everything from jazz to fiddles to rock. Visitors are sure to join in the fun – it’ll be hard to miss the roaring 21-gun salute or the giant birthday cake. The city’s harbor will also be a guest port in a trans-Atlantic 150th Celebration Regatta, bringing around forty traditional tall ships for you to hop aboard, along with a waterfront cultural festival spotlighting seafaring from around the time of Canada’s birth.
Visit heritage sites
Experiencing 18th-century French-Canada at the Fortress of Louisbourg or chilling with moose in Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park. In celebration of the sesquicentennial, Parks Canada online at pc.gc.ca is throwing open the doors to all of its national parks and heritage sites, offering free entrance for all of 2017. Note that there are 47 parks and 168 historic sites to choose from.
Get involved in musical traditions of Orchestras and Symphony
While music has always been a big part of Canadian tradition, this is the year to really keep your ears open. Linking orchestras across the nation, the Toronto Symphony has initiated a musical mosaic that will bring to life some of the country’s long forgotten heritage composers, as well as commissioning new pieces that celebrate Canada’s eclectic musical traditions. Nearly forty orchestras from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland will be choosing a composer and writing a score – nicknamed a ‘sesquie’ – to be performed and broadcast across the nation. While there will undoubtedly be plenty to keep you musically nourished on July 1st in Toronto, tune into events and performances throughout the year and across the country at the Toronto Symphony website tso.ca/canadamosaic.
Visit Sesqui and enjoy the local artists
Travelling across the nation, this multimedia dome village offers a 360-degree view of Canada, giving you the opportunity to get an eyeful of life on the other side of this vast land. Ice fish in the north, visit Victoria’s historic Chinatown and run through the red sand beaches of PEI as you visually escape on a cross-country journey that celebrates Canada’s diversity and beauty. Accompanying the surround theatre, performances by local artists take place in adjoining domes, telling the interactive story of what it means to be Canadian. For more details find it at SESQUI sesqui.ca.
Enjoy at Niagara and other places
To mark Canada’s 150 birthday on July 1st, the city of Niagara Falls will host 150 different events throughout the year. The city of Niagara Falls will spend $150 000 promoting and hosting events throughout the year celebrating 150 years since confederation.
- Enjoy a picnic under the Comfort Maple in Pelham. The maple is not only a common symbol of strength and endurance and has been chosen as the national tree of Canada, but the Comfort Maple is widely believed to be the oldest and finest sugar maple tree in Canada, estimated to be in excess of 500-years old.
- Start the holiday celebrations early in Virgil, where a five-hour show, with family fun including bed races, entertainment, fireworks and more, will take place at the Centennial Sports Park on June 30 as part of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada 150 celebrations.
- Rent some ice at a local arena and enjoy a good ol’ game of hockey. Organize a big game of road hockey.
- Extend your holiday weekend to celebrate July 3-4 when the Rendez-Vous 2017 tall ships visit Niagara-on-the-Lake at the Riverbeach Road dock area.
- Extend your celebration with the Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada 150 celebrations by welcoming the Canadian Forces Snowbirds to Niagara on Sept. 20 for a performance at the Niagara District Airport, complete with music and entertainment.
- Sample some of the products of Canada’s growing craft-beer industry. You can start here in Niagara with Oast House Brewers, Silversmith Brewing Company, Niagara College Teaching Brewery, Kame & Kettle Beer Works, Exchange Brewery, Bench Brewing Company and more.
- Head to Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where you can celebrate Canada Day on July 1, but also celebrate Canada 150 year round. Parks Canada has waived fees for its Discovery Passes in 2017, providing guests free access to all national parks throughout the year.
- Head down to Charles Daley Park in Lincoln and enjoy a slice of cake and a brilliant fireworks display during the Canada Day celebrations hosted by the Town of Lincoln.
- Join the Town of Grimsby for its annual Canada Day celebrations, with a focus on family fun. Bouncy castles, live entertainment, face painting, food, birthday cupcakes and more await you at this free event at the Grimsby Museum.
- Enjoy a mouth-watering pastry from BeaverTails, referred to as a Canadian culinary icon! These deliciously addictive, traditional whole-wheat pastries are hand-stretched to resemble the tail of a beaver, one of Canada’s best-known national symbols.
- Hold a Canadian-themed movie night, ideas include featuring films starring Canadians, made in Canada, directed by a Canadian, or set in Canada.
- Head to downtown Smithville on July 1 and enjoy a Canada Day block party, evening concert and fireworks at 177 West St. The fun begins at 11 a.m. and continues through to the fireworks show at 10:05 p.m. The day features plenty of family fun, including performances by Brad Battle, Elton Rohn and Aboriginal dancers.
- Check out some great work by Canadian artists at one of the many art galleries or museums throughout Niagara. Head to St. Catharines City Hall to check out the Kitsch 4 Canada Art exhibit that opened May 1 and runs until Nov. 4.
- Adopt a sea otter (http://cwf-fcf.org).
- Go on a road trip! While Canada is celebrating 150 years of confederation, Montreal is marking an even bigger milestone this year: its 375th birthday.
- Hit the trail, the Great Trail. With 91 per cent of the country connected by 21,500 kilometre of trail that runs through 13 provinces and territories, the Great Trail offers users a chance to ride, paddle, walk, run, or cycle. Locally, you can connect with the trail via the Niagara River Recreation Pathway, a 57.18-kilometre paved trail that offers walking, hiking and cycling from Fort Erie through Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- Head down to The Commons at Butler’s Barracks on July 2 to check out City and Colour, Blue Rodeo, The Strumbrellas and Dear Rouge in concert in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- Hang out at Rennie park in Port Dalhousie for live music and free festivities during Canada Day long weekend.
- Taste your way through the Niagara Wine Festival, a great destination whether it’s Canada 150 or not, but join them for their special Ontario 150-funded program at Montebello Park in September that showcases some My Niagara/My Canada stories from individuals across the region.
- Join the celebration in Fort Erie, as they spend June 30 to July 2 hosting a Canada 150 celebration in the historic village of Ridgeway. Skydiving, heritage displays, a parade, entertainment, and much more will help mark the major milestone.
Enjoy Fireworks and Parade
There will be fireworks and parade at almost all the places. Here are the few of them to take note of.
Enjoy an incredible fireworks display for Canada Day at the base of Whistler Mountain on 1st July. The best viewing is from Skiers Plaza. There is nothing quite like seeing the mountain lit up in the night sky with colorful fireworks. A must see and a very festive way to cap off the holiday.
Take part in events and activities at http://downtownpenticton.org/
Know more about Chamber of commerce Canada Day Parade
Canada Day Parade will bring the streets of downtown Vancouver to life with over 60 parade entries showcasing rich and diverse country. Celebrate Canada by participating in the Canada150 Parade. The Canada150 parade starts at 4:00 pm on Sunday, July 2, 2017.
