by Megan Jones
This year marks a momentous birthday for Canada: the country’s 150th anniversary since Confederation. The occasion will be met with a range of year-round activities, with some of the most exciting taking place on Canada Day itself. Read on for our top 10 Canada Day celebrations in and around Vancouver. Don’t forget to don your most vibrant red and white! [Photo credit: Tourism Vancouver/Rishad Daroowala]
Canada Place welcomes close to one million people each year for its Canada Day celebrations – and 2017 is no different. In fact, this year’s two-day event is set to be bigger and better than ever, with a Canadian Forces zone, citizenship ceremony, youth zone, food trucks, performances and fireworks show, among other spectacular highlights.
No Canada Day celebration in Vancouver is complete without the iconic, noisy and colourful parade. On July 2nd, starting at the corner of Georgia and Broughton Streets and stretching all the way to West Pender, this kid-friendly parade features floats, marching bands, performers and displays that pay homage to Canada’s diversity and multiculturalism.
Grab a picnic and your friends and family – or a romantic date – and head to Coal Harbour (or Dundarave in West Vancouver) for an awe-inspiring display of fireworks in honour of our nation’s 150th birthday. Starting at dusk, this beloved (and free) activity is always a highlight of the summer season.
In previous years, the community of the tight-knit Granville Island – all its many shops, artisans, workshops and, of course, stalls at the Public Market – have come together to host a fun, action-packed day of activities for Canada Day. From kids’ games and arts and crafts to concerts and cookouts, more exciting plans will be announced soon.
Take a trip to North Vancouver this Canada Day for a comfortable, sunny and casual celebration that includes free dance performances, marching Mounties, community booths, plenty of food options and sunbathing and exploring along Waterfront Park. Feel good about celebrating too: North Van’s Canada Day celebration is a zero-waste event.
If you live in Squamish – or want to make the trek along the beautiful Sea to Sky Highway – be sure to check out their #Canada150 celebrations on July 1st. Between a parade along Cleveland Avenue, a public market with free entertainment at Junction Park, fireworks and a beer garden, everyone will find something they love. Plus, the surrounding scenery provides a gorgeous backdrop!
Do you love British Columbian history – we mean, really love it? Then plan to celebrate Canada Day in the province’s original capital city of New Westminster, home to some of the most beautiful and vibrant heritage homes in the country. Celebrations inside the wooded and lush Queen Elizabeth Park include a family picnic, performances, community booths and silent auction.
Coined as Canada’s “biggest little birthday party since 1945,” the Steveston Salmon Festival takes place in the picturesque town of Steveston: one of the original salmon cannery villages still standing on the West Coast. Here, you’ll enjoy oodles of salmon samples of all kinds, lessons in the history of salmon fishing and production and much, much more.
Thinking of taking a trip to Whistler this summer? Schedule your adventure for the Canada Day long weekend to participate in their spectacular Canada 150 celebrations. Choose between outdoor concerts (including one from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra), street parades, viewing the mountains from the Peak to Peak Gondola, window shopping in Whistler Village, learning about Indigenous culture through exhibitions at the Whistler Museum – or all the above.
Surrey is one of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities and a dynamic, intriguing place to spend the nation’s 150th birthday. For 2017, Surrey Canada Day at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre will feature Canadian bands like Hedley, an expansive kids’ area and a Canada 150 Zone, where Canadian-themed activities include First Nations performers, hoop dancers, French-Canadian artists and more.
The next step is, of course, deciding where you and your crew will spend #Canada150!
