Up to 400 time slots are open for Coquitlam residents to mark Canada Day at a city drive-thru.
And registered participants can dress up their vehicles with red and white ribbons and cut-outs — supplied by the city — for the parade, which takes place in the parking lot by Douglas College (1250 Pinetree Way) from noon to 4 p.m.
Sponsored in part by Tri-City News, the physically distanced procession will include music from DJ Will Sea as well as roving characters, dancers and information from community groups along a fenced route.
Among the performers are the Mariachi Los Dorados, Arthur Murray Dance Studio, Mellado Dance Elite, Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band/SFU Pipe Band, Penk O’Donnell Irish Dancers and Heather Jolley Highland Dancers.
The $2 registration fee — including the car decorating kit — can be found on the Canada Day page of the city of Coquitlam’s website.
As well, due to COVID-19 health order restrictions for gatherings, the municipality will host online entertainment starting at 9 a.m. on July 1.
kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Chief Ed Hall will deliver a First Nations welcome while the national anthem will be sung by Steeve Vérayie and Ariane Prescott.
There will also be shows by Tanga, Rup Loops and the Lorita Leung Dance Academy plus cooking demonstrations and virtual tours of the city’s cultural facilities.
Residents who take part in the parade drive-thru or watch the virtual entertainment are also eligible to win a $100 gift card from Coquitlam Centre, after filling out an online survey.
Meanwhile, for residents looking to get a bite out, the following eateries will serve up Canada Day specials (in alphabetical order):
- Apres Kitchen and Bar
- Chachi’s
- Coffee and Vanilla
- Coquitlam Grill
- Doughnut Love
- Legend House
- Mariner Brewing
- Morning Tid Eatery
- Pasta Polo
- Singapore Hawker
Coquitlam residents can also show their patriotism by tagging the city (@cityofcoquitlam) in social media posts on July 1.
PORT COQUITLAM
Port Coquitlam residents will be well-fed on Canada Day with pancakes and salmon.
From 8 to 11 a.m., members from the Lions Club will serve up flapjacks at Riverside Secondary (2215 Reeve St.); the food is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Then, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Port Coquitlam firefighters will move their Canada Day salmon BBQ from their traditional spot at Castle Park to Fire Hall #1 (1725 Broadway St.).
The event is a fundraiser for the Port Coquitlam Professional Firefighters Charitable Society and the cost is $10 a meal.
Over at Lions Park, the city’s artists-in-residence Elvira Monteforte and Dolores Altin will be at the downtown park (2300 Lions Way) to talk about their upcoming art installation, The Social Connection.
They’ll have an art-making demonstration, from 1 to 4 p.m. while the farmers market will run during its usual time, from 3 to 7 p.m., at Leigh Square (south of city hall).
For the online celebration on July 1, PoCo will present pre-recorded videos from Mayor Brad West and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm Chief Ed Hall plus a show by the PoCo band Hickelstock.
You can view the videos on the city’s website.
PORT MOODY - UPDATED
In an Instagram post on Sunday, the Golden Spike Days Festival announced it would be cancelling the festival's drive-thru event at the Port Moody recreation complex "in light of discoveries of unmarked graves at Canada's former residential school sites, including the remains of 215 children at a former BC Residential School."
Anyone who bought tickets for the drive-thru will get a refund.
However, from July 2 to 4, you can tune in for the online entertainment for the Golden Spike Days, which is sponsored in part by the Tri-City News.
Check out family fun that includes arts and cooking demonstration as well as the children’s and fitness activities, Can Can dancing and the highly anticipated the Tri-Cities Got Talent competition.
For tickets by donation, you can also search “Golden Spike Days Virtual Event” on Eventbrite.
