Good weather, a big parade, and lots to do kept downtown Sechelt hopping on Canada Day.
The Canada Day events, organized by the Sechelt Downtown Business Association (SDBA), kicked off with the big Lions pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. and carried on until 5 p.m. downtown and at Hackett Park.
SDBA administrator Matt MacLean said while they don’t keep a formal attendance count, he reckons the crowds were bigger than last year, when an estimated 5,000 attended.
The parade, which wound its way down Cowrie Street, along Inlet Avenue, and up Dolphin Street to Hackett Park, was certainly bigger, with 51 “really outstanding” floats this year.
This year’s budget was a little bigger too. The SDBA gets $10,000 from the District of Sechelt every year to organize the parade and the other Canada Day festivities, and a grant from Heritage Canada. MacLean said this year’s federal grant was $4,000, an increase from the $2,750 they got last year.
MacLean said a new event, the Firefighter Games at Hackett Park, organized by the Sechelt Fire Department, was a big crowd pleaser, and the beer gardens with offerings from all the local craft beverage makers were also a success.
In Gibsons, celebrations were more low-key, but well attended. Around 200 people came out to watch the Legion colour guard parade along the waterfront at Winegarden Park, enjoy some cake and take in the entertainment at the bandshell.
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