Sarah Mills: Does this Canada Day feel different due to 'elbows up' attitude?
Does Canada Day feel different this year? Sarah Mills says we should be cheering harder for Canada than ever due to our ...
It’s Canada’s 158th birthday on Tuesday and celebrations are happening across Regina.
You can start by taking a patriotic bite first thing in the morning with the pancake breakfast at Wascana Park.
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The sweet offering, available starting at 8:30 a.m., is the first of several events happening in Wascana for Regina Canada Day.
The park will also have food trucks, an inflatable play park, Riderville, a beer garden, live entertainment, and kid-friendly activities starting at various times throughout the morning and going well into the evening.
But, if you’re looking to level up your Canada Day, a hot air balloon ride can help — with rides available from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in Wascana’s East Park.
For those wanting to bring their celebrations to new heights while keeping their feet on the ground, you can look up for the Royal Canadian Air Force flying over the Legislative Building at noon.
Paradise Fireworks CEO Garrett Brown used software to map out Regina’s show in advance. It’s his team’s third year doing the show at Wascana and by mapping it out, Brown can change the angles of the fireworks depending on the wind. (Marija Robinson/980 CJME)
Wascana’s grand finale – the fireworks show – starts at 10:30 p.m. where you can watch from the waterfront.
It’s led by Paradise Fireworks CEO Garrett Brown, who said the 17-minute show will feature some rare fireworks.
“There’s a bunch of very special shells that I brought in. They’re hard to find, and a lot of new stuff that we haven’t been able to see — like a blue butterfly or blue Saturn ring,” Brown said.
Government House
Just west of the Lewvan on Dewdney Avenue, the annual Lieutenant Governor’s Canada Day Celebration is taking place at Government House.
The event is from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will be the first Canada Day celebration hosted by Lieutenant Governor Bernadette McIntyre.
Communications manager at the office of the Lieutenant Governor, Donna Boyle, said this year’s celebrations have, “something for all ages.”
Attendees can expect free lemonade, water, popcorn and Canadian flag pins, as well as a variety of free entertainment, with several performances celebrating Canada’s multiculturalism.
Those include the Kung Fu Regina Lion Dancers, the Austrian Edelweiss dance group, and the RCMP Pipes, Drums, and Dancers, which have bagpipes and Highland dancers.
While the band Bromantics are headlining this year’s event, it won’t be all musicians and dancers.
KAOS dog sports will have four-legged friends running an obstacle course on the grounds.
“Some of them are really fast and some of them are slow, but they’re all cute,” Boyle said, also mentioning that kids will have the chance to race the dogs on the course after.
The Saskatchewan Science Centre will also be there, “blowing something up (and) having chemical reactions in their demonstrations,” according to Boyle.
Those needing a break from the heat can go inside Government House for performances by the Regina Classical Guitar Society and a collectibles sale.
Even though thousands of people check out the Canada Day celebrations at Government House every year, Boyle was unsure if pro-Canadian sentiment would lead to higher turnout on the day.
Regardless, she said the number of attendees has risen over the last few years, filling up the historical site.
“It’s just so nice to see a sea of red and white people get dressed up, and they wave flags and just have a good time,” Boyle said.
RCMP Heritage Centre
Just down the street from Government House, the RCMP Heritage Centre’s annual Canada Day Celebration will kick off at 2 p.m. and last until 5 p.m.
The family-friendly event features face-painting, lawn games, crafts, balloon art, and a cadet obstacle course, all of which are free for visitors, with food available for purchase.
There will also be a chance to take photos with Monte the Moose — which for those who haven’t seen yet, is a moose mascot wearing the RCMP’s ceremonial red serge.
Tatanga Day
While several Regina locations host Canada Day celebrations, the Buffalo People Arts Institute is recognizing the holiday differently.
The Tatanga Day Pow-Wow at Buffalo Meadows Park on Athol Street starts tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. with a Pipe Ceremony.
The event is open to everyone and people are encouraged to wear an orange shirt.
Following the Pipe Ceremony, there are activities throughout the rest of the morning until the early evening, including drum groups, storytellers, music, face painting, and lunch.
Starting at 8 a.m., Buffalo Street Mural Artists will be painting, with an unveiling of the murals scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
There will also be a traditional pow-wow lasting five hours and beginning at 12:30 p.m.
On Buffalo People Arts Institute Facebook post, it says the event is about “honouring our children and Indian residential school survivors.”
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