28 June 2017

CELEBRATING CANADA, FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAYS

BY: KELLY MANIKOTH

Hello everyone and welcome to the special Canadian edition of What’s Happening Wednesdays! July is full of celebrations in honour of Canada’s 150th year of Confederation, and this article will take us from Southern Ontario to the West Coast, highlighting different ways Canadians are commemorating this important anniversary.

Many of our fellow classmates are completing internships across the country, and this month’s column will feature events in cities such as Hamilton, where Hannah Hadfield (Hamilton Civic Museums) and Aurora Cacioppo (Art Gallery of Hamilton) are completing internships, Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories, where Serena Ypelaar and Connor Kurtz are interning (Northern Life Museum), London, Ontario, where Meagan Fillmore and Jessica Baptista are interns (Museum London), the township of Woodstock, Ontario, where Sarah MacDonald is currently interning (Woodstock Art Gallery), Ottawa, where Charlotte Gagnier (Canadian Photography Institute) is completing an internship, and Vancouver, where Alexis Moline (Museum of Vancouver) is an intern!

1. Celebrate Heritage in Hamilton with the Parade of Sails!

The Parade of the Tall Ships! Source.
Celebrate Canada’s heritage by viewing The Tall Ship Parade of Sails in Hamilton. Eleven tall ships, which are traditionally rigged vessels, from Canada, the States, and Europe will make their way down Hamilton’s harbour on Friday afternoon, eventually docking at Pier 8. Some of the stars of the show will include the Pathfinder, a Canadian ship built in 1963 and the first ship built for Toronto Brigantine Inc., and Black Jack, a Scottish team tug from the turn of the twentieth century! There will be free deck tours, tickets for harbour cruises on Empire Sandy, food vendors and music on the Waterfront stage. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Avro Lancaster will also conduct multiple fly-overs of the Waterfront on July 1! For more information, visit www.hamilton.ca

When: Friday, June 30: The Parade of Sail takes places from 2pm – 4pm, with music performances from 6pm – 10 pm
Saturday, July 1 – Aviation show takes place between 11:30am – 2:30 pm. Music performances on the Waterfront Stage take place from 6pm – 10 pm.

Where: Pier 8, 57 Discovery Drive, Hamilton, Ontario

Cost: Free! 

2. Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre Canada Day Parade in the Northwest Territories 

The Radium King at its launch in 1937. Source.
The Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre is taking part in Fort Smith’s Canada Day Parade with their very own float! The float is themed after the Radium King, a giant heritage ship that is preserved on the museum grounds. The Radium King is the last survivor of a fleet of 12 boats in the Radium Line. Created in 1937 by the Northern Transportation Company, it was one of the first diesel powered steel tugboats to tow barges on the Mackenzie River. The ship serves as a landmark for the town of Fort Smith and the museum is actively trying to preserve it. The Radium King float is one of the ways the Northern Life Museum is giving the preservation project exposure. The Fort Smith Canada Day parade also features music, local food vendors, and ends off with a fish fry! For more information on the Save Our King project, click here and for details on the parade, visit www.fortsmith.ca

When: Saturday, July 1st, Parade Marshalling at 11:00 am, Parade Starts at 11:30 am
Ceremony at Riverside Park - 12:30 pm
Water Park, Market and Music at Riverside Park - 1- 4 pm
Fish Fry at Riverside Park - 2 pm

Where: Riverside Park, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories

Cost: Free!

3. Museum London’s ‘Cottage Staycation’

Visitors explore the Witness Blanket exhibition at Museum London! Source.
If you were looking to escape the heat during Canada Day celebrations, Museum London has the perfect alternative to outdoor events. Explore their new exhibition Canada and London: 150 Years of Growing Together and play with an over-sized beach ball, lounge in Muskoka chairs, and listen to the 'sounds of Canada'. There will also be an art hunt where participants can earn maple sugar cookies and contribute to an interactive mural which invites visitors to share moments that capture London’s history! For more information, visit www.museumlondon.ca

Where: Museum London
421 Ridout Street North
London, Ontario

When: Saturday July 1st and Sunday, July 2nd, 11am – 5pm

Cost: Admission to the museum is through personal donation

4. The National Gallery – Our Masterpieces, Our Stories

Fireworks at the gallery. Source.
If you are lucky enough to be in the nation’s capital for Canada Day, visiting the National Gallery of Canada is a must! The Gallery is offering free admission and hosting plenty of fun, family-friendly activities throughout the day, such as scavenger hunts and arts & crafts stations. Their major exhibition, Our Masterpieces, Our Stories, features nearly 1,000 works of art that express the stories and legends which shaped our land. The highlight of the exhibition is the new Canadian and Indigenous Galleries, which was unveiled on June 15th, 2017. For more information, visit www.gallery.ca

Where: National Gallery of Canada
Scotiabank Great Hall
380 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario

When: Saturday, July 1, 2017, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Our Masterpieces, Our Stories runs from Thursday, June 15, 2017 to Monday, September 4, 2017

Cost: Free on Canada Day! Regular Admission: $15, $7 for students with valid student ID.

5. 2017 Visual Elements 59: Annual Juried Exhibition - Woodstock Art Gallery

Woodstock Art Gallery. Source.
The Woodstock Art Gallery’s Visual Elements 59: Annual Juried Exhibition celebrates the diversity and talent of the residents in Oxford County. In 1959, a group of Woodstock citizens organized a call for art which had an overwhelmingly popular response. The highly successful exhibition led to the formation of the Oxford County for Art Association, an organization that paved the way for the creation of the Woodstock Art Gallery. The Gallery carries on the tradition of an open call for art through an annual juried exhibition. This is the exhibition's 59th year, and the jury is made up of curator, Corinna Ghaznavi, and artists, Gary Evans and Michael Hunter.

When: Opening Reception: July 19, 2017,  5pm - 7pm
Exhibition Dates: July 15 — September 23, 2017

Where: Woodstock Art Gallery, 449 Dundas St, Woodstock, Ontario

Cost: Free!

6. Kensington Krawl Food Tour

Source.
If you’re in Toronto for the summer, celebrate the diverse and multicultural cuisine the city has to offer by attending the Kensington Krawl Food Tour. Learn about the history and heritage of one of Toronto’s most unique and eclectic neighbourhoods while sampling a variety of food and drinks. Attendees are also able to meet the local shopkeepers and chefs. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit savourtoronto.com

Where: Meeting place near Baldwin & Spadina (exact location given when registered)

When: Friday, July 14th and Saturday, July 15th, 2017, 11:30am – 3:00 pm

Cost: $65.00 + taxes which includes 8 food and drink tastings.

7. Honda’s Celebration of Light in Vancouver

Source.
Explore Canada's western coast and see the Vancouver for the 27th Annual Celebration of Lights, the largest international fireworks competition in the world! Taking place at the waterfront around English Bay and Burrard Inlet, a spectacular display of fireworks is launched up above the mountains and the Vancouver skyline. The evening begins with a free music festival at Sunset Beach, LG 104.3’s Shorefest, which features an entirely Canadian lineup. Countries participating in the competition are Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada. For more information visit www.hondacelebrationoflight.com

Where: English Bay, Vancouver, Canada

When: Saturday, July 29, 2017 - Japan
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - United Kingdom
Saturday, August 5, 2017 – Canada
The concert starts in the afternoon, and the fireworks begin at 10 pm on each day.

Cost: Free! You can also reserve VIP sections on the beach for $49.99 + tax. These areas range from all-ages bleacher stands to private cabanas that serve appetizers and drinks.

Whether you’re in a small community or reside in the city, Canada Day celebrations are bigger and better than ever. From commemorating the country’s Indigenous origins, to our Francophone heritage and our diverse and multicultural identity, I hope these events help you make the most of your Canada 150 experience! To see more events in cities near you, check out Passport 2017. Happy Canada Day, everyone!

Canadian Puppy Pride! Source.

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