Canada Day 2011: Events Across the Nation

By Charlotte Bumstead
Looking for something to do this Canada Day long weekend? Zoomer has found the following events located across the nation to help you in celebrating our beloved country’s 144th year.

Ontario
Every year, tens of thousands of people gather at Parliament Hill to revel in grand style in the nation’s capital. This year, Canucks will be graced with the royal presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who will be kicking off their international tour as a royal couple on the Hill. Will and Kate are expected to arrive shortly after 12 p.m., and Prince William is scheduled to make a speech at 1:14 p.m. The Governor General, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages will take part in the Canada Day Noon Show, which will be broadcast live on CBC Television and CBC News Network. You can also count on a spectacular flyby of CF 18s and Snowbirds.

Vancouver
The red and white will be in high abundance across Vancouver this weekend. Granville Island celebrates with free jazz performances, face painting and a parade. The activities are endless, with the False Creek Ferries Ballet starting the show at 8 a.m., followed by glass-making workshops, carnival games, performances by Granville Island buskers, bicycle spin art – and the list goes on. You can also enjoy the waterpark from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Nova Scotia
Dartmouth Crossing can’t wait to start the party. An early fireworks show will kick off the weekend with a bang on June 30. The Halifax Pancake Breakfast will be the perfect way to begin your Canada Day, trailed by a flag-raising ceremony and the Official Halifax Canada Day Ceremony from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Great Canadian Family Picnic will be held on the Commons, and live music shows will continue throughout the day, the highlight being a free concert headlining The Trews at Alderney Landing. The beer garden opens at 2:30 p.m., and music performances are scheduled from 4 p.m. to midnight. Don’t miss the fireworks display on the Halifax-Dartmouth Waterfront.

Alberta
Canadian pride shines brightly at Strathcona County’s Canada Day Festival. Be sure to bring a non-perishable food bank donation to the pancake breakfast, starting at 9 a.m. at the Kinsmen Leisure Centre parking lot. Check out the Headquarters Stage at noon, celebrating Canadian music and talent, with performances by Cooper Pump Record Studios Inc., aboriginal dance by The Running Thunder Dancers, soulful vocals and dance beats by The Retrofit and rock music by the Juno-award winning band Honeymoon Suite. Plenty of family activities throughout the day; including segways, go karts, archery, eurobungee, canoe rides, swimming and a climbing wall. At 11 p.m., the celebration is complete with fireworks choreographed to music over Broadmoor Lake.