Canada Day preparations continue for July 1st celebrations

"Usually, by the end of the afternoon, Herb Pond is covered in icing."-- Special events organizer Joy Sundin explaining one of the many popular events for this year's Canada Day celebrations.

The Prince Rupert Special Events society hot off the hard work of another successful Seafest, have turned their attention to helping celebrate the nation's 141st birthday.

Featuring community picnic to cake, featuring musical and other performers for an afternoon of fun, Mariners Park will be the happening place next Tuesday.

The full agenda of planned events was covered earlier this week in the Daily News


Special events team sets their sights on July 1
BY CARLA WINTERSGILL
The Daily News
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

With the Seafest successfully behind them, the Prince Rupert Special Events Society is in full swing with Canada Day preparations.

The annual picnic in Mariner's Park will include a few new activities this year, including the Canadiana Costume Walkabout, where Ruperites can show off their patriotic duds.

"At 2:30, we'd like people to come dressed in their best Canadian red and whites," said Sundin. "We're going to have a little walkabout type parade."

The Boy Scouts and Girl Guides will be on hand to give out Canadian flags and pins to make sure everyone has a little bit of patriotic memorabilia.

Animals will also get into the swing of things with the SPCA-run patriotic pet parade.

This year's picnic will start off at noon with a flag-raising ceremony and the singing of O Canada. The Prince Rupert Community Band will be playing the national anthem.

Local dignitaries will be in attendance to give speeches and hand out Canada Day cake.

"We have five huge slabs of cake that get handed out to everybody," said Sundin. "Usually, by the end of the afternoon, Herb Pond is covered in icing."

The special events committee is currently in the process of finalizing the afternoon's entertainment. They are still looking for local singers and dancers who would like to perform.

"We'll squeeze in everybody," said Sundin.

Adults can look forward to a Canada Day quiz, while there will be old-fashioned games for the kids as well as face-painting, temporary tattoos, balloons and bubbles.

There will also be some interesting party favours. This year, the special events society will be handing out 750 seedlings. The Celebrate Canada Committee for British Columbia provides the trees under an initiative called Watch it Grow, Canada. Anyone interested will be given a free seedling.

Of course, the can't-miss event of the day is the fireworks in the harbour. Put on by the volunteer pyrotechnic group, Prince Rupert Fireworks, the spectacle takes days to prepare.
"Mariner's Park will be full," said Sundin.