Simple and fun is the aim of this year's Canada Day festivities, with this year being a prelude to an even bigger celebration planned for Canada's 150th birthday celebrations in 2017. “We've had some great success in the past.
Simple and fun is the aim of this year's Canada Day festivities, with this year being a prelude to an even bigger celebration planned for Canada's 150th birthday celebrations in 2017.
“We've had some great success in the past. For July 1, the focus is family, keeping things simple that the kids really like,&” said Penny Fox, who heads up St. Paul's Champions for Change group, adding, “Little kids really like to have a sno-cone, jump in the bouncy castle and have a piece of cake and their day is good.&”
The day involves a few different partners each bringing different events to the table, including the Town of St. Paul and Champions for Change.
The event kicks off on Thursday evening with the Jarrid Lee Band performing from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the St. Paul Fire Department as usual taking care of the fireworks display, later that night once it is dark, to bring in Canada Day with a bang.
“We really encourage people to come, it's free,&” Fox says of all the events, saying that this year, as in the past, Thursday night's concert features local talent and gives people a chance to dust off their dancing shoes and cut a rug.
Then on Friday afternoon, there will be a host of activities held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including a BBQ lunch, cake cutting (or strawberries for those that want a healthy option), bounce houses, popcorn, glitter tattoos, a balloon artist, face painting, sno-cones, among other activities. The Farmers' Market vendors will be offering goods as well, while Jete dancers have confirmed they will do a dance demonstration at 1 p.m. Other dance groups had yet to have confirmed attendance as of last Wednesday, according to the Town of St. Paul's Gary Ward.
At 1:30 p.m., there will be a bike parade that winds its way around the Recreation Centre, and kids are encouraged to dress themselves and their bikes in Canada Day gear. Once again, every kid that participates in the bike parade will get a prize.
There are only six months between now and the beginning of Canada's 150th birthday celebration, which is also the 50th anniversary of St. Paul's UFO landing pad and the town receiving Centennial Star recognition. The Canada 150 group, of which Fox is part, is meeting regularly to discuss plans for the gala planned for next Canada Day, and would like to see events centring on the 150 happen every month.
If anyone has ideas or memorabilia from St. Paul's celebration of Canada's 100th birthday in 1967, Fox invites them to bring them to Linda Sallstrom with the St. Paul & District Chamber of Commerce.
