Caledon celebrates Canada Day with pancakes, strawberries amid heat wave

July 9, 2026 · 0 Comments

By Muhammad Hamza

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Local residents, volunteers, dignitaries and business leaders came out to Caledon Fairgrounds on July 1 to take in Canada Day festivities, despite a significant heat wave.

The celebration, the Caledon Canada Day and Strawberry Festival, was organized by the Caledon Agricultural Society (CAS), and ran from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To energize the residents, the festival included various fun activities for people of all ages, from a car show to electrifying live performances by the Caledon Concert Band.

There were also entertainment tailored just for kids, including a magic show and “Four Paws Flying Entertainment—Dog Agility,” where trained dogs demonstrated their frisbee-catching skills.

But for some visitors, the refreshing food and beverages at the Festival had their own significance – particularly given the weather.

“Every year we come here because they have the pancake special with the strawberries and whipped cream – we like that,” said Greg Bates, who travelled from Brampton with his wife to celebrate Canada Day.

Bates added a community fundraiser will receive a significant portion of the money earned from that breakfast stall.

“It is $12 for the pancake strawberry breakfast, so the majority of that goes towards the community,” Bates said, explaining that these funds help the organizers manage operations.

Environment Canada had issued the orange warning for Wednesday, July 1, instructing residents to exercise extreme caution as the temperature was expected to rise up to 37 degrees Celsius.

However, that did not stop the community from coming out and celebrating Canada Day in style.

Rachel Lima, who owns an Oakville-based cookie brand named “Cookie Cuddle” was participating in a Caledon event for the first time and said that her sales were not affected due to harsh weather conditions.

“Even though it’s a really hot day, sometimes people avoid going out, [but] it’s been pretty good,” she said. “People are stopping, and they are trying the samples and buying.”

Lima described her product’s specialty by saying it’s a “New York-style cookie,” which means it has a thick layer of crunch outside and is made up of “real butter and good ingredients.”

Some activities like the pony rides and petting zoo, and the dignitaries’ parade were cancelled due to the extreme weather.

But the impact of the event was still clear to Lima.

“It is an amazing moment for families to get together,” Lima said. “I do believe this is really important for the community to have these kinds of events that can put them together.”

Her words were also echoed by Councillor Mario Russo, Wards 3 and 4, who said, “It’s about our community coming together, celebrating Canada, celebrating Caledon, and being the unique nature of Caledon, which is what we always want to continue to maintain.”

He emphasized that Canada is what brings us together, and that’s what needs to be reflected and celebrated on this special day.

In his view, although the residents’ turnout had declined compared to last year, mainly due to the heat, he believed that the quality time families spent with each other outweighs the number of people.

“The turnout is still great; the day is still young. But the reality is, it’s not about the number of people; it’s about the quality of spending time with one another.”

The food booth was open for the community throughout the event, where they could enjoy barbecue, fresh juices, and cold drinks. It also included ice cream, fruits, and vegetables.

Among other prominent stalls were clothing and skin care products.

David Hansraj of the Caledon Agricultural Society, pointed to the trend of 10 to 15 years back, when residents came out in massive numbers; as that is no longer the case, he urged residents to come out to continue that legacy.

“The Strawberry Festival and the Caledon Fair are very important; we need this to continue. It’s been around for 160 years,” he said.

“When you look around, you will see the reminiscence of the bygone days when this place was filled with people. We need to continue that.”

The CAS is in the process of building a new community centre for residents.

Giving a message to the residents, Hansraj said, “We need your support. As the years go by, you will be proud of your community.”