Don your red and white clothing, caps, and flags and head out to your local parks for some Canada Day fun.
There are plenty of activities to celebrate Canada, hosted by the cities of Port Moody, Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam.
Here’s what’s happening today, Canada Day, in the Tri-Cities.
COQUITLAM
• Coquitlam’s national fete begins at noon at Coquitlam Town Centre Park with nearly 11 hours of activities and performances, including fireworks.The festival site — on the east side of Lafarge Lake — is divided into zones: Adventure Park, Community Drive, Coquitlam Lane, Eat Street, Eco Zone, The Meadow and Vehicle Showcase.
CEREMONY
• Opening ceremonies take place at 12:15, featuring The Coastal Sound Music Academy
ENTERTAINMENT
• The Blues Berries (featuring Dawn Pemberton) play at 2 p.m.
• Other performances on the TD Community Plaza Stage include Coco Jafro at 3:30 p.m., Krystle Dos Santos at 5 p.m., SoundTrack Canada at 6:30 p.m. and, the headliners, Ten Souljers at 8:30 p.m.
• Don’t miss out on the multicultural entertainment on the Celebrate Stage, which concludes with a show by Aché Brasil at 7:30 p.m.
FOOD
Visit Eat Street at the festival site for a wide range of offerings, including Mr.Mikes and Rocky Point ice Cream.
FIREWORKS
• Fireworks takes place at 10 p.m. over Lafarge Lake.
FREE SHUTTLE
Don’t forget to take advantage of a free shuttle bus running from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. from Gleneagle secondary school while limited parking will be at Town Centre Park, Douglas College and Pinetree community centre. Visit coquitlam.ca/canadaday.
PORT COQUITLAM
Here’s what’s on the schedule for Port Coquitlam’s Canada Day.
• 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Start the day at Lions Park with a pancake breakfast served by the local Lions Club – ($5/adult, $3/child under 10) and a free fishing derby with prizes for children age 10 and under (register on-site).
CEREMONY
At noon Castle Park will host the the opening ceremonies, national anthem, flag raising and cake.
Other activities are as follows:
• 12:30-5 p.m: Community showcase – Featuring local performers and choral groups.
• 12-5 p.m: a variety of free children’s activities including face painting, a creation station, a kids’ activity zone, bungee runs, bouncy castle and more.
• 12-5 p.m: Community marketplace – explore a variety of community and cultural displays.
FOOD
• Expect an impressive lineup of food vendors: tacos, Asian fusion, pizza and more from noon to dusk.
• Port Coquitlam Firefighters continue the annual tradition of serving up a complete salmon dinner for $12. The popular barbecue is usually a sell-out. All proceeds go to the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund. Hamburgers and hotdogs will also be available. It runs from noon to 6 p.m.
• New this year will be a beer garden hosted by Taylight Brewing, from noon to 10 p.m.
ENTERTAINMENT
• From 5-10 p.m., Bring a blanket to enjoy the music acts leading up to the fireworks featuring: Hickelstock, Western Jaguar, Disco Funeral, Destineak, and The Darby Mills Project.
FIREWORKS
• At dusk, enjoy the grande finale pyro musical featuring the music of all female Canadian artists.
PARKING, SHUTTLE
A free shuttle bus service is being offered from 11:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. between Castle Park and the West Coast Express parking lot on Kingsway Ave.
Additional parking is available at schools in the area.
There will also be some road and trail closures, visit portcoquitlam.ca/canadaday for details.
PORT MOODY
Enjoy all the best Port Moody has to offer with this fun-filled day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Rocky Point Park.
• Pop-Up City Hall
Stop by Port Moody’s Pop-Up City Hall to say hello, grab some I Love Port Moody swag, and enter to win a summer fun gift basket. Right next to the pop-up city hall will be a giant inflatable slide.
CEREMONY
• At 1 p.m. visit the PCT Performance Stage where Port Moody’s mayor and council will host a patriotic ceremony to celebrate our nation’s birthday, followed by cupcakes and juice. As well, Jada McKenzie-Moore, 2017 winner of Tri-Cities Got Talent, will entertain you with a couple of songs and then lead everyone in singing “O Canada.”
FOOD
• There will be a wide variety of treats and tastes from candy floss and ice cream, to Greek, Jamaican and Thai food. The beverage garden will offer a variety of wine and local craft beer in a beautiful outdoor setting, close to the main entertainment stage.
ENTERTAINMENT
It’s the last day of the Golden Spike festival, with a wide variety of entertainment and activities. Don’t for get The folk-roots band Tiller’s Folly takes the stage at 3:15 and 5:15 p.m.
For full details visit goldenspike.ca.
FREE SHUTTLE
Parking at Rocky Point Park will be extremely limited. Members of the public are encouraged to leave their car at home, and walk, bike, take public transit or make use of our event shuttle which will will loop from the Port Moody Recreation Complex (300 Ioco Road) to Rocky Point Park (2800 Murray Street) approximately every 30 minutes.
