Canada Day Events - Page 2

WarrenC12 · #21 Posted **Jun 29, 2009, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LotusLand

Is anybody planning on going to the parade in Downtown?

I'm going to check it out. I think it's a great idea to have it in the evening, still early enough for kids and it's light out, then those who want can stay for the fireworks.

nova9 · #22 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 6:49 AM**

i plan on being there. i'm excited. i haven't been in canada to celebrate canada day in a while - i always find myself abroad in that first week of july. this year, i get to celebrate canada day, then head south for 4th of july in vegas, then july 14th bastille day in paris!!! yay!!

metroXpress · #23 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 1:43 PM**

^ Which one?

I highly recommend going to the one in Vancouver because they have a new parade this year celebrating Canada Day (7:00 PM -8:10 PM) and also the fireworks are free this year due to construction at Canada Place (they are installing those projection lights..etc.[I think we have a thread here on that!])

giallo · #24 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 2:04 PM**

I used to go on the Canada Day boat party. Always had a blast.

Distill3d · #25 Posted **Jul 1, 2009, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

...to bring in our 141st birthday...

Uuuuh, I'm no mathematician or anything, but 2009-1867=142, not 141...

mr.x · #26 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 5:48 AM**

The festivities in and around Canada Place were alright, but the parade was absolutely abysmal. It was less than an hour long, the floats/groups were abysmal for the most part, and why the hell was the Santa Clause float in the parade? WHY???!!!

Couldn't watch the fireworks, can hear them going off now as we speak, with the holiday bus schedule.

Anyhow, Happy Canada Day!

Whalleyboy · #27 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 7:21 AM**

i gotta say canada day in surrey was awesome
bif naked and 54-40 both had great performances
i like how 54-40 included the audience though to help sing songs

also i rather not talk about traffic......

metroXpress · #28 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 2:30 PM**

^good to hear that the one at Cloverdale was great...I couldn't divide up myself or clone myself to go to both of them...

mezzanine · #29 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 4:37 PM**

i saw the parade yesterday, and I thought it was great. The timing was a nice change, in the early evening. There wasn't a lot of dead time between the marchers and they tried to program more active displays (a lot more dancers, not a lot of people marching and waving..) And don't forget that this is the inaugural parade, expected it to be bigger and grander in future years.

It was windy and getting to dusk, i don't think people would stay for longer than 1 hour.

If i had to make changes - have it 1 hour earlier. Invite more marching bands (i'm a sucker for these). More brazillians!! And the gay pride marchers were low-rent. Maybe they were saving resources for the pride parade..

SpongeG · #30 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 6:53 PM**

i think i could count on one hand the amount of white people i saw there during the fireworks - lol

totally diverse crowd - no one around me spoke english, i heard mostly spanish and arabic

metroXpress · #31 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 8:22 PM**

^ that happened to me too! People were speaking Spanish/French/Arabic/ and some others that I don't understand.

It was a great gathering though...

SpongeG · #32 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 8:55 PM**

yah everyone behaved - no rowdyness - it was a good show that people when given a great venue and opportunity can behave and get along

raggedy13 · #33 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 10:33 PM**

I agree the parade was somewhat lacking but I'm sure it will be bigger in the years to follow. The new convention centre was a great venue for celebrations this year though.

Here are some of my pics. Unfortunately I only just caught the tail end of the parade and didn't manage to get pics of more interesting events from earlier.

My only pic of the parade from behind the wall of spectators - confused yet happy to see Santa showing his patriotism

Whalleyboy · #34 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 10:36 PM**

wow wasnt like that at all at Cloverdale
i was originally gonna go out to Vancouver to watch the fireworks. in the end that didnt seem like a good enough reason to go out there. also thought i may as well just wait for the festival of lights.

over all i am glad with my pick to go to cloverdale

Whalleyboy · #35 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 10:37 PM**

also does anyone know the attendance number for events was?

LotusLand · #36 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 11:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whalleyboy

also does anyone know the attendance number for events was?

organizers were saying well over a 100,000 at and around the the convention centre. Downtown was busy and packed, it was like a fireworks night (festival of lights) mixed with 4/20 and boxing day. Loved it!

I was thoroughly surprised at how good of venue that location is for special events. If the city doesn't screw this up, this event will only get bigger as the parade can improve as well as the musical acts etc... give it time.

LotusLand · #37 Posted **Jul 2, 2009, 11:57 PM**

That can be said about all the Canada Celebrations. I mean if there is no entertainment, why go out to the convention centre and gather when you could be patriotic in the comfort of your living room

johnjimbc · #38 Posted **Jul 3, 2009, 12:59 AM**

I was at Granville Island yesterday. It was packed and the atmosphere was really really great. Even with the throngs of people, I was impressed how friendly and jovial the crowds were. The parade was fun and light-hearted and very Canadian.

The sounds of some great Jazz echoed all over as well, as a lot of free performances were underway on various stages throughout the day in conjunction with the Jazz Festival.

I don't have any kids, but really enjoyed being there with all the families who had brought their children out for the day.

Everyone just seemed really happy. It was one of the most carefree holidays I've experienced in a while due to the great atmosphere.

Love seeing that atmosphere appeared to carry all over from the pics and anecdotes folks are sharing.

P.S. In Walking to Kits from Granville Island, got to see a nesting Bald Eagle Pair up in a tree with their eaglette (is that the right word?). It was funny - the parents were sitting up on a branch while the youngster (who was pretty large himself) was squawking up a storm before he started hopping around and taking very short erratic flights from branch to branch in the tree. A crowd of us watched for a while as he clearly worked on his first flying session practices. Wish I had brought my camera, but had decided purposely not to bring it for the day. Oh well.

mr.x · #39 Posted **Jul 3, 2009, 1:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnjimbc

P.S. In Walking to Kits from Granville Island, got to see a nesting Bald Eagle Pair up in a tree with their eaglette (is that the right word?). It was funny - the parents were sitting up on a branch while the youngster (who was pretty large himself) was squawking up a storm before he started hopping around and taking very short erratic flights from branch to branch in the tree. A crowd of us watched for a while as he clearly worked on his first flying session practices. Wish I had brought my camera, but had decided purposely not to bring it for the day. Oh well.

Where exactly is it located? Hopefully they won't get spooked by the fireworks later this month.

johnjimbc · #40 Posted **Jul 3, 2009, 4:04 AM**

They were in a large tree just where Whyte Avenue (didn't know that was the name until just now) flows into the parking lots for Vanier Park, so just west of the Burrard Bridge, almost directly across from the aquatic center.

So they are not on the water near where they set off the fireworks but closer to the Burrard bridge instead.

I imagine it might spook them, but that is still a few weeks away. I imagine the young one be much more sturdy in his flying by then, assuming they even wanted to fly off during the festivities.

I still marvel at how large the nests really are, when you actually see them in person.