Skip to content

Coast celebrates Canada Day

July 1
canada day
Annabelle Poirier leads the Coastal Cowgirls through the Canada Day Parade in Sechelt with her half mini-half Shetland, Harlow.

Cowrie Street was awash in red and white on July 1 as thousands of spectators lined the sidewalks of downtown Sechelt to watch the Canada Day parade.

Festivities began at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Lions Club followed by opening ceremonies with speakers including shíshálh Chief Warren Paull, West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, Sechelt Mayor Bruce Milne and Matt McLean, event organizer with the Sechelt Downtown Business Association.

“This year was so much better than last year in terms of organizing,” said McLean, who attributed the day’s success to the partnership with the District of Sechelt and the Sechelt Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market.

“That was the biggest change. It made all the difference. If we didn’t have them come on, honestly we wouldn’t do the parade next year,” McLean said.

Normally, the day’s events, including all-day activities in Hackett Park, are organized by the Sechelt Downtown Business Association, which McLean said is a challenge because the association doesn’t have as much reach to recruit the more than 100 volunteers needed to run the event. The district also contributed $10,000 while the organizers received $2,700 from the federal government.

One popular event that didn’t make it this year was the Sechelt Firefighters Games, which didn’t happen because of a “lack of people power,” said McLean, who is hopeful they will return next year. Unlike previous years, all children’s activities were free. “It was the district’s role that prompted the change,” McLean said. “They look at the community impact a little differently than we do.”

Another major change was the introduction of the Bela Domingo Polynesian Dancers and the Mexico Vivo Dancers. The Bela Domingo troupe travelled from Vancouver to walk in the parade, perform on stage as well as in Hackett Park, while the Mexico Vivo Dancers came from Langley. “It was great value and worked out really nicely. I think people really enjoyed them,” McLean said.

Audience member Brooke Moore, who comes to the parade every year with her kids, was among those who noticed the changes. “It was awesome, great additions,” she said.

Canada Day celebrations also took place in Gibsons, with outgoing mayor Wayne Rowe cutting the cake for the last time before he retires. Musicians Jim Foster, Lowry Olafson and Modern Terror performed at Winegarden Park after a Legion Colour Guard opening ceremony and the singing of the national anthem by Richard Fortier.

See more photos in our online galleries at www.coastreporter.net/photos-videos