Ucluelet Parks and Recreation is hosting a small-scale Canada Day celebration on the Village Green this Friday, July 1 from noon to 3 p.m.
There will be free hot dogs for the kids, red and white Canada Day cake for all to share, plus the traditional water balloon fight is on tap.
“Everything is a warm-up to Ukee Days,” said Abby Fortune, director of parks and recreation. “Come on down and join us. It’s going to be relatively low-key. We are just hoping to start our event season off with a bang and the bang would be Canada Day.”
Festivities kick off at noon with the Colour Guard parade, which includes representatives from: Ucluelet RCMP, BC Emergency Health Services, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans Club, Ucluelet Fire Rescue, Canadian Rangers, and a member of the Ucluelet First Nation government.
“It’s just a couple hours of fun. Hopefully the weather will be nice for us. We’ve done it virtually for the last two years, but with the opening of COVID restrictions we are trying to slowly, but surely, open up our events that we traditionally do,” said Fortune.
The District of Tofino will not be hosting any Canada Day events this year.
“A plan to host a community conversation on the Talk Tofino platform to discuss how the community can re-imagine and decide collectively how to mark Canada Day in the coming years is on the horizon,” notes a message from Tofino’s communications department.
Last year, both municipalities cancelled Canada Day celebrations due to ongoing Provincial Health Orders. Tofino and Ucluelet also lowered National flags to half-mast at municipal buildings to honour the thousands of children who were sent to residential schools, for those who never returned, and the families whose lives were forever changed by the Indian residential school system.
RELATED: Ottawa police say this year’s Canada Day will see ‘unprecedented’ security response
nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca
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