City of Toronto to host citywide Canada Days festival to mark Canada's 150th birthday
This July long weekend, the City of Toronto will host Canada Days, a four-day music and performing arts festival to commemorate Canada's 150th birthday. Part of the year-long TO Canada with Love program, Canada Days will run from June 30 to July 3 at Nathan Phillips Square, with one-day celebrations at Scarborough Civic Centre, Humber Bay Park West and Mel Lastman Square on July 1. Full program details are available at http://www.toronto.ca/canadadays.
"The city-wide Canada Days festival showcases the diversity of our city and our residents through more than 130 performances across four sites," said Mayor John Tory. "From Indigenous and Francophone artists to the many cultures represented across the city, Toronto's diversity will be heard, seen and felt this Canada Day long weekend through music, dance and arts. I encourage all Torontonians to join the celebrations."
“In this momentous Canada 150 year, Canada Day celebrations will highlight what makes our country so unique, diverse and vibrant," said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. "I invite all people of Toronto to participate in the activities surrounding July 1. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to celebrate this important milestone with your family, friends and neighbours.”
"This Canada Day, thousands of local revelers and visitors from around the world will be treated to extraordinary, not-to-miss, 150th anniversary celebrations in Toronto that will pay tribute to the cultural diversity we have in Ontario,” said Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “2017 will be a year to remember, with nearly 1,000 Ontario150 programs and events taking place across the province that will bring us together, ignite our spirits and capture our imaginations.”
"Toronto’s celebrations will encompass all corners of the City," said Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 37 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the City's Economic Development Committee and Chair of the City of Toronto's Canada 150 External Advisory Committee. "It is a great opportunity to get all Torontonians involved in these once-in-a-lifetime festivities."
With more than 130 performances by national and international artists, the all-star lineup will highlight Canada's rich cultural fabric and will feature a diverse blend of music, dance, circus and street arts.
Canada Days headliners will include Barenaked Ladies and Buffy Sainte-Marie on June 30, Ron Sexsmith and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on July 1, dvsn on July 2 and Belly on July 3 at Nathan Phillips Square.
July 1 performances will include Basia Bulat and DakhaBrakha at Humber Bay Park West, Busty and the Bass and The Lytics at Mel Lastman Square, and Deen Squad and Horsepowar at Scarborough Civic Centre. A fireworks display at 10:55 p.m. will take place nightly at all four sites and food and beverage will be available for purchase.
On July 1, national partner CIBC, in partnership with Canadian Heritage and the City, is hosting a Citizenship Reaffirmation Ceremony at the four Toronto sites, in addition to 17 other communities across Canada. These ceremonies will showcase cultural performances, the recitation of the Oath of Citizenship and the singing of O Canada, to help ignite national pride across the country and celebrate what it means to "Stand for Canada."
Canada Days is produced by the City of Toronto in partnership with the Province of Ontario’s Ontario150 Program and the Government of Canada. The event is sponsored by National Partner, CIBC; Premier Sponsor, Tim Hortons; Official Beer Sponsor, Steam Whistle Brewing; Official Wine Sponsor, Barefoot Wines & Bubbly; Official Beverage Sponsor, Pepsi; Official Volunteer Sponsor, Vistaprint; and Hospitality Partner, Barque.
Social media updates on Canada Days are available on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SpecialEventsTO, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/specialeventsTO, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/specialeventsTO and on Snapchat at https://www.snapchat.com/add/specialeventsto. The event hashtag is #C150TO. A custom Canada Days Snapchat geo-filter for Nathan Phillips Square will be available from June 30 at 5 p.m. to July 3 at midnight, and for Scarborough Civic Centre, Humber Bay Park West and Mel Lastman Square from 2 p.m. to midnight on July 1.
Details on all TO Canada with Love City-produced events and other Canada 150 programs happening in Toronto, including a special Canada 150 event calendar, are available at http://www.toronto.ca/canada150. Toronto events marking Canada's 150th birthday can be submitted to the calendar at http://www.toronto.ca/eventcalendar.
About TO Canada with Love
TO Canada with Love is the City of Toronto's year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions honouring Canada's 150th birthday. The program is Toronto's cultural love letter to the country, offering a rich tapestry of more than 30 City-produced events taking place across the city throughout 2017. For more information, visit http://www.toronto.ca/canada150.
(Source: The City of Toronto) |