‘Brings togetherness’: Fort St. John community celebrates Canada Day 2025 with parade, car show and more

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John’s streets were full and covered in white and red to mark Canada Day this year.

Many of the events for the annual celebration on July 1st took place in downtown Fort St. John and Centennial Park.

Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen said: “When I come down to the park on Canada Day to see the number of families that are out here and just to see the smiles and enthusiasm, everyone puts aside what’s on their mind and they’re just enjoying today.”

An early event to kick off the day was at the Fort St. John Fire Station from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 am, where a pancake breakfast was being served.

A big line surrounded the building, and over 1,000 pancakes cooked by the firefighters. 

Then there was a performance by The Groove at around 10 a.m. to prepare the streets for a parade.

At 11 a.m., the Fort St. John community lined 100th Street to see the annual Canada Day parade, one of the most anticipated parts of the celebration. 

Various floats from local businesses, non-profits and community groups marched and drove along the route, waving at the public to represent the heart of the Energetic City. 

Watch a video of the parade in full on Energeticcity.ca, here.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 189 classic and exotic cars lined up at 100th Street between 93rd and 96th Avenue for the Classic Cruiser Car Show. 

Vehicles on show included a DeLorean, kitted out with Back to the Future memorabilia and merchandise; a Model T Ford, the first mass-produced car; and a Plymouth Superbird with its distinctive spoiler. 

People voted for their favourite vehicles and had the opportunity to take pictures and speak to the owners.

“This gives people a sense that they’re Canadian again,” said Matthew Derkach, president of the Fort St. John Classic Cruisers club. “This brings togetherness.”

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there were also free activities at Centennial Park, including face painting, balloon animals, henna tattoos, air toys, carnival games, mini golf and more. 

Additionally, there were live music performances on the park’s stage by Northern Winds Community Band, Doig River Drummers, SweetWater Band, Dirt N Diesel, and Rose Prairie Romance.

There were also several food trucks and vendors at the North Peace Leisure Pool’s parking lot. 

A Farmers’ Market also took place at Festival Plaza to support local artisans and farmers showcasing and selling handcrafted goods, jewelry and more. 

There were also other community-led activities happening between 12 p.m. and  9 p.m., such as a scavenger hunt at the North Peace Museum, free movies at The Lido, free slices at Pizza Hut, free cookies at Subway and more. 

July 1st marks the anniversary of the British North America Act, now known as the Constitution Act, creating Canada in 1867.

Some of the main sponsors of the Fort St. John celebrations were Urban Systems, Save-On-Foods, Peace Country Rentals, Pioneer Sanitary Solutions, and the Government of Canada. 

To find out more about community events in Fort St. John, visit the city’s website.