We’ve got a long weekend for Canada 151, making it an amazing time chockablock full of fun activities for you and your family all around Greater Victoria. Here are five of the great events you can check out:
Fort Rodd Hill Canada Day Celebrations
The park in Colwood opens at 10 a.m. and the day kicks off with military reenactments, crafts, games and booths from local organizations, entertainment by the 5th Regiment of the RCA, and stand-up paddle boarding by the lighthouse.
From 10 to 11 a.m. there will be a tide pool discovery program with the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea and a puppet show at Casemates. Opening ceremonies feature a 21-gun salute and get underway at 11:50 a.m. At 12:30 p.m. a citizenship reaffirmation ceremony sees Canadians invited to take an oath of citizenship to express their commitment to Canada.
Free shuttle service will be provided between the Juan de Fuca park-and-ride (Ocean Blvd. and Trans Canada Highway) and the park, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The park closes at 4:30.
Gorge Canada Day Picnic
Head on over to the Gorge for the annual Gorge Canada Day Picnic, running 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Start the day with a pancake breakfast before checking out the family parade, fun entertainment, classic cars, kids’ activities, canoe rides, buskers corner, street hockey, strawberry tea, the Canada Day Market, Gorge on Art and more!
The Gorge Waterway is located between Tillicum and Admirals Road, and this year’s edition is the 20th anniversary, so expect a larger turnout but also more activities.
Sidney Celebrations
If you’re out on the peninsula, you can grab pancakes from the Sidney Lions starting at 8 a.m. at the Mary Winspear Centre before heading down Beacon Ave. to watch the Sidney Days Parade, starting at 11:30 a.m.
The Family Fun Fair will then run 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Iroquois Park, followed by the Slegg Build-A-Boat Race at 4:30 p.m. in Beacon Park ( and if you want to build a boat for the race, it starts at noon!)
Penny Carnival at the Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum is hosting events all weekend, but on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3p.m.its got its traditional Penny Carnival.
The event gives visitors a taste of history by incorporating Helmcken House and other historic buildings in the adjacent Thunderbird Park. It will also have games that cost just one penny, including tug-of-war and bean-bag tosses.
Victoria Inner Harbour Celebrations
Last but not least, festivities are starting in front of the BC Legislature at 12:30, including a kids’ zone and the Flavour of Canada Food Village along Belleville Str.
Red and white t-shirts will also be given away in an attempt to keep the record of the largest living flag, which will happen a 2:00 p.m.
At 3 p.m. activities will switch to the main stage as entertainment begins with the national anthem, followed by a series of performances and shows will feature the Sheung Kun-fu Club, Uminari Taiko, the Coast Capital youth Band, a reading from youth poet laureate Agartu Ali,and performances from Paint the Town Red, Olivier Couture, Batuque Axé, Band of Rascals and feature performer,Victoria’s own Carmanah.
The evening finishes off with a bang with a massive fireworks display at the Inner Harbour starting at 10:20 p.m.