Canada Day events to act as celebration of Calgary’s resiliency

Calgarians are invited to celebrate Canada Day and the reopening of the downtown core at a multi-location event on Monday.

 

With an average of over 100,000 Calgarians in attendance each year, Canada Day is one of the most highly attended one-day annual events in Calgary.

 

“We know many people, especially children, look forward to our Canada Day celebrations every year and, I am happy to say, that despite the on-going crisis, we will not disappoint them,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.  “Although the event has been scaled down, I believe it will act as a huge example of our resiliency and celebrate our spirit of volunteerism.”

 

Due to the recent flood, and ongoing dangerous conditions on the Bow River and its riverbank, Canada Day celebrations will not take place at Princes’ Island Park.

 

Instead, music, food, and a variety of activities will take place at Shaw Millennium Park from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., on the Stephen Avenue Walk (8 Ave. S.W. from 4 Street S.W. to Olympic Plaza) between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and at Olympic Plaza from 1 to 5 p.m.

 

“The opening of the downtown core is a notable milestone in our recovery and we certainly want to celebrate that too,” says Nenshi.

 

A Canada Day fireworks display from the Centre Street Bridge will cap the festivities at approximately 10:45 p.m. 

 

It is critical that citizens do not attempt to go near the Bow River to view the fireworks. Flow rates in the Bow River are still dangerous, no matter how they may appear on the surface.  Instead, The City is asking residents to watch the fireworks from Nose Hill Park, Shaganappi Park, Scotsman's Hill or Max Bell Arena.

 

“I cannot say this enough—our number one priority is keeping people safe and, right now, that means under no circumstance should anyone go near the Bow or Elbow Rivers,” Nenshi says.

 

The City is also encouraging people to make use of the transit system or bike paths as there will be extremely limited public parking and no dedicated shuttles for the event. Those wishing to attend should refer to calgary.ca/transit​ to help plan their trip in and out of the downtown. 

 

To avoid further taxing our City services and support systems, Calgarians are asked to come prepared with lots of water, a hat, sunscreen and bug spray. The City also asks that Calgarians consider this a ‘pack in, pack out’ excursion, meaning any garbage and recyclable products you bring in should be carried out, as garbage and recycling services will be limited.

 

For a full details on Canada Day events, visit Calgary.ca