17th annual Caledon Day festivities enjoyed by thousands at the CECC

June 25, 2026 · 0 Comments

By Jim Stewart

The 17th annual Caledon Day attracted thousands of attendees in optimal late-Spring conditions to the Caledon East Community Complex on Saturday.

The event featured dozens of local vendors whose food trucks, booths, and tents filled the south and west parking lots of the CECC.

Six musical acts entertained guests from mid-afternoon to early-evening featuring classic rockers Grand River Band; the folk-roots sounds of The Wanted (Trio); the acoustic and electric duo EVARA; the folk rock melodies and smoky voice of Bay Llagas; the soulful tenor saxophone and piano sounds of the Matthew & Richard Jazz Duo; and the Canadiana Band blasted out timeless hits from The Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, Blue Rodeo, The Guess Who, Neil Young, and Loverboy to conclude three hours of live entertainment in breezy, sunny, 23-degree temps.

The musical acts and the masterful work of DJ Dave Puzzo led seamlessly to the Opening Ceremonies as three levels of politicians emerged from the gated VIP section and took their place on stage.

Mayor Annette Groves welcomed hundreds of guests encircling the stage and introduced a full slate of dignitaries including Ward 5 Councillor Tony Rosa; Wards 4, 5, and 6 Regional Councillor Mario Russo; Secretary of State for Combatting Crime and MP for Brampton North-Caledon Ruby Sahota; Deputy Premier of Ontario, Minister of Health, and MPP for Dufferin-Caledon Sylvia Jones; Wards 1, 2, and 3 Regional Councillor Christina Early; Ward 6 Councillor Cosimo Napoli; Ward 3 Councillor Doug Maskell; Ward 2 Councillor Dave Sheen; and the newly-elected Ogimaa Kwe (Chief) of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Margaret Sault.

Many of the dignitaries were invited by Mayor Groves to deliver greetings from their respective jurisdictions.

MPP Jones delivered succinct, upbeat greetings from the Province of Ontario and described the event glowingly: “What an amazing day to celebrate the community we call home.”

The engaging Deputy Premier offered the invitation to all attendees to “visit the vendors, enjoy the evening, and make new friends.”

After Jones’s invitation to the crowd, MP Sahota noted the communal nature of the gathering, but also used the stage to deliver a concise treatise on the importance of law and order.

“We’re celebrating as a community today and it’s an opportunity to unite as a community. As Secretary of State, I’ve been introducing new legislation because this community has asked for change. We’ve put forth a record-breaking number of bills to strengthen the Criminal Code. All of this is so important to create a peaceful country. This is a community that really cares about protecting its neighborhoods.”

Chief Margaret Sault’s words of reconciliation also struck a timely chord and reinforced the importance of belonging to community.

Elected in December 2025, the new Ogimaa Kwe reminded the crowd, “June is National Aboriginal History Month and I bring greetings from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Events and spaces like these remind us about how important it is to belong. Events like these occur through the power of community spirit and the dedication of volunteers. This is a celebration of community in its best form. Enjoy the day. Enjoy the music. Most importantly, enjoy one another.”

After describing the myriad connections between the Town of Caledon and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Mayor Groves used the event for an important announcement to advance this theme.

“I am so thrilled that the Province of Ontario will be building the first Aboriginal hospice in the country. In Caledon. We are determined to build our relationship with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This relationship must be based on trust and respect. The Land Acknowledgement we read at public events is not just words on paper.”

After celebrating the Town and Province’s deepening ties with the Mississaugas of the Credit, Mayor Groves segued to another historically-significant social group and service club in the community.

“I’d like to recognize our Royal Canadian Legion on its one hundredth anniversary next month. I wanted to thank Larry Weltz [of the Alton Legion Branch 449]. Thank you for your service and for serving our country.”

Mayor Groves invited Councillor Russo to the podium and a congratulatory certificate was presented to Weltz by Russo on behalf of the Town of Caledon.

After acknowledging Weltz’s contributions to the community and the Legion’s upcoming centennial celebrations, Mayor Groves shifted her hosting duties to DJ Dave Puzzo who rolled enthusiastically into the Civic Awards segment of the Opening Ceremonies—recognizing and honoring eighteen residents that have made the Town of Caledon a better place to live.

Each award winner in attendance walked across the stage, shook hands with the dignitaries assembled, and received their certificate and hug from Mayor Groves whose warm greetings towards each resident expressed her authentic appreciation of their contributions to community life in Caledon.

Seven residents were recognized for their contributions to Community and Social Services: Jennifer Malcom of Bethell Hospice; Jo-Anne Fiore, Amo Ilic, Lynn Baker, Mike Fiore, and Paul Smith from BrightStart Caledon Family Centre; and Naseem Shad from Community Volunteer Income Tax Program.

Three residents were recognized for their contributions to Sports and Recreation: Mike Louro of the Caledon Minor Hockey Association U12 Caledon Hawks; Terry Lawrence of the Caledon Tennis Club; and Victoria Kring from the Caledon Minor Baseball Association.

Five residents were recognized for their Environmental Leadership and all were associated with ecoCaledon: Betty de-Groot, Cathy Pley, Fely Ragudo, Lucrezia Chiapetta, and Paula Oake.

Lastly, three residents were presented with the prestigious Distinguished Citizen Award: Diana Mollicone, Lori Robinson, and Mojgan Schmalenberg.

After the 18 community leaders were given their due recognition for significant contributions to life in Caledon, the rest of the evening was comprised of three performances: Rikki Lee Wilson fronted the Taylor Swift Tribute Band; the headliner show was provided by Canadian country music star Brett Kissel; and the full day of activities was capped off with fireworks which served as colorful punctuation marks to a day of community celebration.

In addition to the range of musical acts, ceremonies, and civic award presentations, the Caledon Community Services hosted Velocity.

The annual cycling event raised funds to support Caledon Seniors.

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