Canada Day in Victoria, B.C.

Canada Day events on southern Island

https://www.timescol...-events-5534121

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 30 June 2022 - 02:40 AM.

^ Yes but how many of those will require that you be lectured on how you are a thief and a loser in order to watch the fireworks?!

Can't hear the speeches watching the fireworks from Bear Mountain, thank god.

On July 1 around noon there were two canoes being spasmodically paddled near Ship Point.  Council, presumably.  I feared that a rogue wave might tip them into the cold water and suck them out to sea, thus depriving us forever of their wise management.  Fortunately this didn’t happen.

No more planning drama for Canada Day, as this year the City took a stance on helping plans with “large scale” festivities.

From the CoV:

This year the City will be supporting 46 festivals and celebrations with $390,470 in Festival Investment Grant (FIG) funding to enhance Victoria’s vibrancy, while celebrating our cultural diversity.

New in 2023, the City is supporting a Canada Day funding stream to support community-led programming on July 1. As part of this pilot project, Penmar Community Arts Society has been awarded funding to produce a large-scale Inner Harbour celebration including live entertainment and family-friendly activities.

Funding for five community celebrations, seven new or emerging festivals, 30 established festivals, three signature festivals and one community-led Canada Day celebration has been awarded to local non-profit organizations.

Many of the festivals receiving funding are celebrations of the diverse cultures and communities that make up Victoria. Highlights include Victoria Pride Week, Outstages Festival, African and Caribbean Cultural Week, Khalsa Day Parade, Folktoria Multicultural Festival, Festival Mexicano, One Wave Gathering, Rendez-vous Victoria and the Victoria Highland Games.

Victoria residents and visitors will also have a wide range of artistic disciplines to choose from, whether it’s a day at the Art Gallery Paint-In, enjoying the Symphony in the Summer Festival, or taking in a performance during SKAMpede.

The Festival Investment Grant program, now in its 24th year, has seen more than $4 million in grants nurture the development and sustainability of high-quality annual festivals and celebrations. The pursuit of arts, culture and tourism opportunities is a key goal of the City’s Create Victoria Arts and Culture Master Plan.

Watch for the online City Vibe guide coming in May for a complete list of upcoming family-friendly events and festivals around the city.

Just over a month before the big event, organizers of this year’s Canada Day festivities on the legislature lawn have found a new presenting sponsor.

 

EF International Language Campuses has stepped in to take on the job, after last year’s main sponsor, Central Walk Holdings Ltd., owners of Mayfair Shopping Centre, announced last month it would not be back.

While the cost of presenting sponsorship was not confirmed, it’s believed to be about half the $250,000 cost of putting on the event.

 

“We’re very pleased, and EF is a great organization — this is a really good fit for us,” said Douglas Smith, managing partner for Blue Coast Event Group, producer of the show, which is organized by the non-profit Penmar Community Arts Society. “As multicultural as Canada has become and as diverse as we want to make Canada Day, it’s just a fantastic partner to have.

 

 

https://www.timescol...slature-7053446

Well good to hear they have found sponsors although we seem to have gone from Canada Day being presented by a Chinese billionaire to being presented by the folks who are contributing to our housing crisis with educational tourism!

I wonder if City Hall twisted any arms?!

Yeah, odd. Academia doesn't like to talk about how it impacts the housing markets in the community's it operates international programs in.

Maybe just in time for Canada Day?

 

Bonnie Crombie wants feds to change O Canada lyrics for reconciliation | Toronto Sun

 

Bonnie Crombie wants changes to the national anthem to advance reconciliation.

 

During Wednesday’s Mississauga council meeting, the city’s mayor and potential provincial Liberal leadership candidate plans to put forward a motion to ask the federal government to change “our home and Native land” to “our home on Native land.”

 

This comes after singer Jully Black made a change to the lyrics while singing O Canada at the NBA all-star game. The change was lauded by some, vilified by others.

 

The motion says “the new wording represents a truth which is critical to the understanding of present-day Canada and that such a change is consistent with the federal government’s commitment to reconciliation.”

Indigenous groups praised Black when she sang the change to the anthem.

I thought that the term "natives" was derogatory?

 

I also thought that the term "native" in the anthem referred to the actual oxford definition of "native" which meant the place we were born and not anything to do with FN.

You're right of course spanky123, but when have facts ever mattered to the woke?

Tell Bonnie to take a hike, not on Bear Mountain though.

Inner Harbour

A variety of local, multicultural performances will take place on the lawn of the B.C. legislature.

Festivities start at noon and will open with a performance of the national anthem by EF International students, who will be in Victoria for three to six months learning English.

Performances by local and area artists including The Blue Hearts, Spendo, Alpha Centauri, Elise Boulanger, Cheko & The Lion Rockers, Brass Camel and Cristian de la Luna will continue throughout the day. Headliner Jill Barber will take the stage at 9 p.m. leading up to the fireworks finale over the Inner Harbour at 10:20 p.m.

A kids zone will also be set up on the Legislature lawn from 12 to 6 p.m., featuring a bouncy castle, face painting and games. An Indigenous artist collective pop-up market will take place on Belleville Street featuring a diverse array of Indigenous art and craft.

Pancakes at Huntingdon Manor

Huntingdon Manor Hotel in the Inner Harbour will be hosting a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m., along with music and activities in the garden. The breakfast is by donation, with all proceeds going to the Victoria Women’s Transition House.

HarbourCats Baseball

The Victoria HarbourCats will be playing a Canada Day matinee at Royal Athletic Park against the Bellingham Bells. Doors open at 12 p.m. and the first pitch is at 1:05 p.m.

JazzFest

TD Victoria International JazzFest is set to continue with Victoria-based singer-songwriter Kristina Helene taking the stage at Hotel Grand Pacific at 9 p.m.

The festival will also be hosting a day of free performances at Bullen Park in Esquimalt from 12 to 5 p.m., with performances from artists including New Groovement, Pacific Blue Band and The Midnights.

Fort Rodd Hill

Catch the giant Canadian flag flying from the Fisgard Lighthouse at Fort Rodd Hill in Colwood. Free celebrations will take place around the site from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including live music and heritage-themed ice cream and soda.

Canada Day in Langford

Returning for the second year, the City of Langford will be hosting a variety of Canada Day activities at the Starlight Stadium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A by-donation pancake breakfast will be offered from 9 to 11 a.m., followed by a performance by Langford magician Jason Verners from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., a blue ribbon pie contest at 12 p.m. and a hot wing eating contest at 1:30 p.m.

Celebrations will also include stilt walkers, a bocce ball tournament, a firefighter obstacle course, live music, an Indigenous drum group, a community art project, and more.

Gorge Picnic

The Gorge Canada Day Picnic will be returning along the Gorge Waterway from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities include a family parade, pancake breakfast, strawberry tea, Gorge on Art, live performances and a 65-vendor street market. The 1.7 kilometre stretch along Gorge West Road from Tillicum Road to Admirals Road will be closed to traffic.

Despite ongoing construction on Gorge West Road, festival organizers stated they anticipate re-paving will be finished before July 1. Landscaping and sidewalk construction will not be complete, but all construction equipment will be cleared for the event.

Craigflower Manor

Celebrations will also take place at the historic Craigflower Manor at 1801 Admirals Rd. Activities include Highland games events, tours of the manor and live music and dance performances in the brand new Craigflower Community and Performing Arts Centre.

Tides Are Changing

The Victoria International Marina will be presenting a sustainable art exhibition and ballet, Future Oceans: Tides Are Changing, on Canada Day.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for a wearable art exhibit exploring ocean preservation, a sustainable tasting menu and performances by the Nanaimo Contemporary Ballet, Felicia Harding, Allan Donnelly and Pippa Williams.

 

 

https://www.vicnews....eater-victoria/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 June 2023 - 10:22 AM.

The Gorge event is awesome especially as its about a ten minute walk from our place . It draws huge crowds, typically in the 20-25,000 range I would guesstimate over the course of the day, maybe even more.

 

Lots of things to see and do, everything from front yard music jams - seating provided - and ("informal", ahem..) boulevard beer gardens, to road hockey games, classic, muscle and hot rod cars on display, a ton of food vendors, the obligatory "put your kid in the back of a police cruiser or paddy wagon complete with cuffs and take pictures", and best of all thousands of ordinary folks just wandering along the strip enjoying themselves in the sun decked out in all manner of Canadiana gear. Very family oriented and lots of fun.

Edited by AllseeingEye, 27 June 2023 - 12:02 PM.

I think the Gorge Picnic replaced the one that used to be in Beacon Hill park, which we really enjoyed about thirty years ago. We could walk to it and were sad when it vanished (due to the Friends of Beacon Hill complaining about commercials sponsors I think?). 

That timeline sounds about right, I think that group emerged sometime in the late 80's/early 90's. They were frankly a PITA even when I lived across from the park 20+ years ago. You don't have to look hard on the web to find lots of images of 'commercial' activity that occurred in the park 100++ years ago which certainly facilitated the principle of 'public enjoyment' of the space without harming or damaging it.

 

Anyway all to the good insofar as the Gorge celebration is concerned; a good, safe time is had by all - and at the end of it each year the gorge remains unharmed and still standing, fully intact and completely unpolluted by the rampart commercial activities of each Canada Day....

Does anyone know if the fireworks will be moving forward in Victoria?  Seems to be a lot of last minute pushback.

Fireworks are racist: https://www.vicnews....-day-fireworks/

But overcome your racism but giving them money:


But on Canada Day, he wants people to mark the occasion in a different way, perhaps by donating to an Indigenous organization or taking time to learn about First Nation perspectives.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 June 2023 - 10:02 AM.