City of Fort St. John celebrates Canada Day

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John’s Canada Day celebration begins on Saturday with a pancake breakfast at the Fire Hall, cooked by local firefighters.

The pancake breakfast will be by donation from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Canada Day parade starts at 11 a.m. at 108th Avenue, travelling down 98th Street before finishing on 96th Avenue.

The Northern Winds Community Band and School District 60 band students will be displaying their musical talents at 11 a.m. at the Centennial Park stage, ahead of the opening ceremonies.

At noon, the Canada Day Celebration Opening Ceremonies begin with the national anthem and a performance from the Doig River Drummers.

After the opening ceremonies, attendees will be able to walk around the park and take in different tents, including a scavenger hunt at the information tent and sweet treats at the ConocoPhillips tent.

In the Festival Plaza, the Farmers’ Market will take place all day for locals to sell their wares.

New this year is a parent’s tent with two sides, one for parents who need a break from the sun, maintained by Baby’s Best Chance volunteers. The other side of the tent will be focused on neurodivergent needs, including a quiet space, sensory toys, a child’s blackout tent and sound-reducing ear muffs.

Centennial Park will also host an elders and seniors tent, a kids zone and food vendors.

The annual Canada Day fireworks display was cancelled this year due to an open fire ban put in place by the province in May. Instead, the city announced microgrants for local organizations to host their own celebrations.

For more information on the events on Canada Day, visit the City of Fort St. John’s website.