Canadians may lack the patriotic fervor of our neighbours to the south, but it’s time to put on our red and white and do a little flag-waving.
The annual Canada Day celebration in Elmira’s Gore Park kicks off at 4 p.m. next Thursday. The Kiwanis Club of Elmira will be serving ice cream, the Optimists are putting on a barbecue and the Girl Guides will be selling pop and cookies.
There’s plenty for the kids to do, with a bouncy castle, games with the fire department and a magic show and balloons by Klazz Klown. Byron Shantz will be providing music for all ages and the summer playground staff will be handing out tattoos. A number of dignitaries will be on hand for the cake cutting at 6 p.m.
In addition to the festivities in Gore Park, the pool at the Woolwich Memorial Centre will be open for free swimming Canada Day. The public swim is from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m., and this year they’ve added a family swim from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Adrienne Schmidt, pool supervisor and one of the organizers of the Canada Day celebrations, said the pool has been at capacity for the past three years and they’re eager to see if they can reach that mark again at the new pool.
Schmidt said that she and her team are hoping to build on the national pride evident at the winter Olympics in Vancouver.
“There’s a lot of Canadian pride out there. It’s nice to bring the community together to celebrate Canada Day.”
