It took 200 man-hours to put the show together, according to the St. Paul Fire Department, but last Tuesday night’s Canada Day fireworks display proved to be a hit among those watching.
The Fire Department’s Facebook page was flooded with positive comments later in the week, with one user posting that it was “The best fireworks show ever in St Paul.” And another saying, “Thank you for putting on such a great show!”
This year, the show was longer than previous years, lasting about 25 minutes total. And although he didn’t have an exact dollar amount spent on the fireworks, St. Paul Rec. Director Gary Ward confirmed additional funds were set aside for the fireworks’ budget.
“We got very good feedback on the fireworks,” said Ward. “Everybody was impressed with them this year.” The show was a hit, with the parking lot at the St. Paul Rec. Centre at capacity on Tuesday night, and people scattered on the grass with their blankets, eager for the show.
The fire department takes a lot of time to put the show together, said Ward. The group begins preparing for the show at about 6 p.m., and doesn’t get done cleaning up until about 2 a.m.
“They do a great job volunteering.”
Overall, this year’s Canada Day celebrations, which were organized by the town and Champions for Change, were very busy. The Tuesday night concert with Calvin Vollrath also received high praise from those who attended, said Ward.
The next day, the Rec. Centre was again bustling with people taking in the bouncy houses, snow cones, a farmer’s market, entertainment by local musicians, traditional aboriginal games, and more.
A concession run by Bears BMX was also busy throughout the entire day on Wednesday, and a snow cone stand raising money for the animal shelter was also a popular attraction.
Although he wouldn’t divulge on any specific details, Ward said that next year’s Canada Day celebrations “will be bigger and better,” as planning for the event would start as soon as this year’s event is wrapped up with a meeting this week.
“We will do a recap of this year’s event, then start talking about what we want to do next year.”
