Downtown Squamish will be crawling with people out to celebrate Canada's birthday next Friday (July 1) as the Squamish Canada Day community celebration will take place at Pavilion Park.
Events include a market and a car show which will run most of the day. A family fun zone that will include street hockey, grassroots relay races, limbo, and more, and fireworks will close out the evening.
Lead organizer Cindy Cardiff said she is excited about the upcoming events.
"There's a whole bunch of things included in the family fun zone. There's going to be lots to do," she said.
There will also be live music featuring local bands Shone, The Bushwackers, The Shifters, Carolyn Grass and Friends, and Jocelyn Pettit Band.
A number of other performances will also take place including a dog agility show, a tai chi demo, and an outdoor movie called Home, which will be screened at 9:30 p.m.
The film, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, features stunning footage from more than 50 countries, with all footage shot from a bird's-eye view. The film was made to help raise awareness for the effects humans have had on the Earth and the effects of global warming.
According to Cardiff, none of this would have been possible without the help of the community. "The community has really come together; we have major sponsors and many minor sponsors," she said, adding, "I'm still looking for people to be part of the market, and I'm still looking for volunteers, especially for the family fun zone, and one more major sponsor."
The schedule of events is as follows:
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Canada Day Market and Classic Car Show
10:45 a.m. - Canada Day March and Flag Raising Ceremony
11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Live Music, Performances, and Family Fun Zone
1 p.m. - Grand Opening of the O'Siem Pavilion
9:30 p.m. -Outdoor Movie Home
11 p.m. - Fireworks
"It's a good thing the community pulled together," Cardiff said. "It's really important for everyone to come together and celebrate being Canadian. It's awesome that we live here, so why wouldn't we come out and celebrate it?" Cardiff said.
If you would like to be a sponsor or would like to help out by volunteering, you can contact Cardiff at [email protected] or by phone at (604) 849-0435.
The Squamish Nation and others are also planning a multicultural Canada Day celebration that includes prayers, drumming and singing and a traditional feast at Totem Hall. Prayers involving interfaith churches will take place from noon to 1 p.m. The whole community is invited to a potluck lunch, followed by cultural entertainment from a number of different groups.
