An estimated 65,000 people took in Canada Day festivities on the shores of Lafarge Lake as residents flocked to Town Centre Park to celebrate the country’s 149th birthday.
The city estimates that between 30,000 and 40,000 people took part in the day-time activities, with the number of festival-goers peaking in the evening for the light display.
Raul Allueva, general manager of parks, recreation and cultural services, said the event showcased the new plaza and the city’s efforts to transition its larger festivals to the south side of Town Centre Park. “It was a little more intimate,” he told The Tri-City News. “I think it worked really well. The plaza was outstanding.”
Because the site is open in all directions, Allueva said the plaza is easily accessible. Some people watched the various performances and entertainment on the stage while others were happy to eat some food and take in the view of the lake, he added.
“That is the vision,” he said. “It is a place where people can enjoy the setting and the performance if there is one.”
And more work is expected in the area.
Allueva said a permanent bathroom facility is part of a larger amenity package included in the Town Centre Park master plan that he said will improve future events at the lake.
Canada Day was the first event for the amphitheatre, which was a controversial project. During last year’s public consultation on the performance plaza, residents were fairly evenly split on whether the project should be approved, with a number of people expressing reservations about the look of the project and saying it might disrupt the natural setting next to the lake.
(As well, the project went over budget, rising $500,000 from the budgeted cost of $2.7 million to $3.2 million.)
But Allueva said he hopes some of those concerns could be put to rest now that the project has been completed. He noted that a lot of effort went into ensuring the amphitheatre-style seating fit with the natural landscape and the slope of the shoreline.
“Anyone who had any misgivings about its appropriateness… Any fears they had would be dispelled.”
@gmckennaTC
