Hot News: Your guide to Canada Day events: parades, music, food, fireworks

Canada Day celebration highlights

* Victoria Canada Day events at Victoria Inner Harbour. Mainstage performances by Jon and Roy, Charlotte Diamond and more from 12:15 p.m. Kids' Zone on Belleville Street; Living Flag, pick-up shirts at 12:30 p.m., photo at 1:30 p.m. Flavour of Canada, international food village on Belleville Street; Ska Fest Stage at Ship Point; 1-10 p.m. Fireworks at 10:20 p.m. More at victoriacanadaday.ca

* Gorge Canada Day Picnic, a family event with music, entertainment, arts and crafts and food. Canada Day Family Parade, 9 a.m. near Gorge and Tillicum intersection, along Gorge Road, ending at Admirals Road. Pancake breakfast, 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. at Craigflower-Kosapsom Park; Gorge on Art, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. along the Gorge Waterway; Strawberry Tea, 1:30-3 p.m. at Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club. More at gorgecanadaday.ca

* Sidney Canada Day. Pancake breakfast at Mary Winspear Centre, 9 a.m.; parade starts 11 a.m. at Beacon Avenue and Resthaven; family fun at Iroquois Park, 12:30-4:30 p.m.; Slegg Lumber Build-A-Boat, noon-4:30 p.m. with boat race at 4:30 p.m. More at peninsulacelebrations.ca

* Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site, Canada Day Celebration starting at 10 a.m. with live music and birthday cake. Free admission.

* Canada Day in Sooke at Sooke River Campground. Opening ceremonies with Sooke Pipe and Drums and RCMP leading the parade, 1 p.m.; family entertainment with Magic by Murray Hatfield and Teresa at 2 p.m.; music on main stage from 4 p.m. and fireworks at 10:30 p.m. 2259 Phillips Rd., gates open at noon. More at canadadaysooke.ca

* Royal B.C. Museum's Old-Time Penny Carnival, 12 to 3 p.m. on the grounds surrounding Helmcken House and St. Ann's Schoolhouse.

* Victoria Vegan Fest!, 12 to 5 p.m. at Market Square. victoriaveganfest.com

* Ross Bay Villa Canada Day Lawn Party and House Tours. Noon to 4 p.m., 1490 Fairfield Rd., Victoria. rossbayvilla.org

* Canada Day at B.C. Forest Discovery Centre, ride the steam train, music and entertainment, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., flag ceremony at noon. 2892 Drinkwater Rd., Duncan.

* Canada Day in Chemainus with free family events at Waterwheel Park, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

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Greater Victoria celebrates Canada Day with an impressive lineup of family-friendly events. The biggest is hosted by the City of Victoria and is sponsored by Coast Capital Savings around the Inner Harbour on Tuesday.

Canada's 147th birthday will be celebrated with entertainment, children's programs, an international food village and capped off with fireworks.

'We see Canada Day as a perfect opportunity to show our Canadian colours and, through the fabulous family events and cultural festivities taking place, to engage our youth in celebrating all things Canadian,' said Maureen Young, manager of community partnerships at the credit union.

A main stage will be erected on the B.C. legislature lawns to showcase the mix of local and out-of-town musicians and dancers.

Headlining this year will be Jon and Roy, a Victoria-based, three-piece folk rock and reggae band. They will be joined by a mix of local and B.C.-based musicians and dancers.

As part of a commitment to bring bilingual entertainers to Victoria, organizers have engaged Montreal-based Oothéque, the solo project of Malajube drummer Francis Mineau, to play selections from his first album.

The Kids' Zone will return to Belleville Street with interactive activities. Juno-Award-winning children's entertainer Charlotte Diamond will be on hand to get the kids dancing.

People can don either a red or white T-shirt to be part of the Living Flag on the legislature lawn. A Flavour of Canada will return with an international food village while Ship Point will host family-oriented performances on the Ska Fest Stage, with Dope Soda as the headliner. Performers Brave New Waves, the New Groovement, Leg up Program and Whitey will entertain throughout the day.

All the events are free.

Entertainment begins on the main starge at 12:15 p.m. The Living Flag takes place at 1:30 p.m. (T-shirt pick up is at 12:30 p.m.). Details at victoriacanadaday.ca.

The fireworks display will begin at 10:20 p.m.

Community celebrations will also take place from Sooke to Sidney.

One that has grown in the last 16 years is the Gorge Canada Day Picnic, along a scenic section of Gorge Road. It's hosted by the Gorge Tillicum Community Association.

The day starts with a parade at 9 a.m., featuring bagpipes, a convoy of police cars, a fire truck and children with decorated bicycles. The parade ends at Admirals Road, where a pancake breakfast awaits participants until 11 a.m.

People can shop at artisan stalls for handmade items, admire the artwork of professional and emerging visual artists, take in the sight of shiny classic and vintage cars or be entertained by buskers and neighbourhood musicians.

Members of the Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club will take people for a ride on the Gorge in a voyageur canoe while foodies will revel in the more than 20 multicultural food vendors offering langos, pizza, mini doughnuts and cotton candy.

Past attendees will be sure to line up early for the Strawberry Tea. Set in the Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club building, the tea features strawberries on cake served with a choice of tea, coffee or juice.

Kids events run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with road hockey, facepainting and an inflatable castle. Musicians and performers will entertain on two stages from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Gorge Canada Day Picnic is free and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Gorge Road between Admirals and Tillicum roads. There is no parking and no vehicular traffic during the event. Details at gorgecanadaday.ca.

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