Celebrating Canada’s big day packed with events

June 28, 2018 · 0 Comments

by Sylvia Jones

Canada Day celebrates the creation of Canada, on July 1, 1867. For years, “Canada Day” was actually called “Dominion Day”, a national holiday that started in 1879. It was not until 1982 that Dominion Day was officially renamed “Canada Day”. Regardless of its official title, Canada Day is an opportunity to celebrate our history and to look to the future of Canada.

I hope that on Sunday July 1st you will go to a Canada Day event near you in Dufferin and in Caledon. There are a variety of excellent events being put on by volunteers across Dufferin-Caledon.

I have a jam-packed day of events. I hope to see you at one near you. I start my day at the Downey Farm, 13682 Heart Lake Rd. The Downey’s will be hosting a Canada Day Strawberry Festival from 9am to 4pm. The opening ceremony is at 10:30am and of course there will be delicious pancakes served with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Next I will be taking part in the ceremonies at the Caledon Fairgrounds (18297 Highway 10) in Caledon Village. Volunteers at the Caledon Agricultural Society have put together another fun filled day for the whole family. There will be strawberries and pancakes, a craft show and much more. The event runs from 8:00am to 4:00pm with official ceremonies at noon.

There will be several events in Orangeville. From noon to 5:00pm, the Town of Orangeville will be hosting celebrations at the Alder Recreation Centre at 275 Alder Street, with fireworks later at Island Lake starting at 10pm. During the day, there is face painting, three public swims (noon, 1:45pm and 3:30pm) and much more.

The Orangeville Legion (7 John St) have invited the public to their annual celebrations. The official opening ceremonies are at 2:00pm. I encourage you to drop by and recognize the contributions of those who have served and those who continue to serve to protect our great country.

The Town of Shelburne will be hosting Canada Day celebrations from 3:00pm to 11:00pm at Fiddle Park (515677 Dufferin County Road 11). There will be live music, a bouncy castle for the kids, and food vendors.

Finally back in Caledon at the Albion Hills Conservation Area (16500 Peel Regional Road 50) from 4pm to 11pm the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority with support from the Rotary Club of Palgrave have put together a fantastic schedule for the whole family. There will be magic shows, steel pan drums and of course fireworks at 10pm.

I hope you will spend time with your family and friends and take the opportunity to reflect on what makes Canada such an extraordinary place to live and raise a family.

Particularly I hope that you take time and thank the many volunteers putting together the events on July 1st. I am proud to be a Canadian because of our shared values of hard work, compassion for others and being engaged members of our communities: values clearly exhibited in the hundreds of community volunteers who give back so we can celebrate together.