An invitation to celebrate Canada’s 147th birthday
June 26, 2014 – Gatineau, Quebec – Department of Canadian Heritage
Canadian Heritage, along with our partners and sponsors, presents the biggest birthday party in the country on July 1.
The celebrations organized in honour of Canada’s 147th birthday take place at three official sites—Parliament Hill and Major's Hill Park in Ottawa, and Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau—along with several partner sites. Residents and visitors are invited to take part in a multitude of free daytime family activities and evening concerts, culminating in a breathtaking fireworks display in the heart of Canada’s Capital Region at approximately 10 p.m.
This year, Canada Day activities will highlight important historical milestones, including the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War, the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War, the end of the mission in Afghanistan, and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown and Québec Conferences, as well as our Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Official Sites
The focal point for many Canadians on July 1 is Parliament Hill, with its pomp and pageantry. Residents and visitors are invited to gather early on the Hill for the celebrations.
9 a.m. Flag-Raising Ceremony (East Lawn) with National Anthem sung by Steeve Michaud (Que.)
9:30 a.m. Changing the Guard (East Lawn)
10 a.m. Carillon Concert by Roy Lee, guest Dominion Carillonneur
12 p.m. Canada Day Noon Show
Spectators will be thrilled by Canada’s Snowbirds and CF-18s. They can cheer on the performers and discover Canadian symbols and military traditions. This year’s show will be hosted by Jully Black (Ont.) and Isabelle Racicot (Que.) and will feature musical performances by:
- Brett Kissel (Alberta) – Country
- British Columbia Boys Choir (British Columbia) – Choral
- Marianas Trench (British Columbia) – Pop rock, pop punk
- Nadja (Quebec) – Pop, rhythm and blues
- Serena Ryder (Ontario) – Folk rock, indie rock
- Terry Kelly (Newfoundland and Labrador) accompanied on fiddle by Sierra Noble (Manitoba) – Country, folk
- Véronic DiCaire (Ontario) – Impersonator
Live broadcast on CBC News Network, Radio-Canada TV/Radio, RDI and CPAC. A TV special showing highlights will be broadcast on CBC at 2 p.m.
2 p.m. - 5 p.m. Afternoon Program on the Lawns
Swing Dancing (East Lawn)
Visitors can enjoy 1930s- and 1940s-style swing dancing, with its spirit of joy and exuberance. An afternoon of high-energy acrobatic performances and dance workshops presented by Ottawa’s Swing Dynamite Dance School is planned.
Images of Afghanistan (West Lawn)
A selection of photos from the last 100 days of the mission that demonstrates memorable events, milestones, and various aspects of Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan. One photo was tweeted by military personnel every day for 100 days starting on December 22, 2013, until the end of the mission on March 31, 2014. Presented by the Canadian Armed Forces.
7:30 p.m. Canada Day Evening Show
Thousands of Canadians will gather on Parliament Hill to celebrate our nation’s birthday with performers from across the country. The Canada Day Evening Show will showcase:
- Brett Kissel (Alberta) – Country
- Daniel Lavoie (Manitoba) – French pop, folk, rock, jazz
- Marianas Trench (British Columbia) – Pop rock, pop punk
- Nadja (Quebec) – Pop, rhythm and blues
- Serena Ryder (Ontario) – Folk rock, indie rock
- Véronic DiCaire (Ontario) – Impersonator
- Whitehorse (Ontario) – Folk rock
- DJ A-Rock and VJ Video Girl (Quebec)
The Canada Day Evening Show is sponsored by the Chicken Farmers of Canada, Manulife, President's Choice® and Bell Canada.
A one-hour edition of the evening show will be broadcast on CBC, Radio-Canada and radio‑canada.ca, with special programs on ARTV and Espace musique. The show will also be broadcast live in its entirety on CBC Radio 2 and CBC.ca.
10 p.m. President’s Choice® Canada Day Fireworks
A spectacular fireworks display will top off the festivities immediately following the Evening Show on Parliament Hill at about 10 p.m.
The best views of the fireworks are from Jacques-Cartier Park and the Canadian Museum of History (both in Gatineau), as well as Major’s Hill Park (in Ottawa), Victoria Island, and along the Ottawa River.
The festivities at Major's Hill Park will feature a variety of cultural performances, displays, exhibits, and activities and will highlight the inspirational stories of Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Athletes.
Bell Stage
Noon CBC Canada Day Songwriter Circle with performances by John MacPhee (P.E.I.), Sally Folk (Que.), Lauren Mann (Alta.), and Lynne Hanson (Ont.) Broadcast live on CBC Radio 1
3:30 p.m. Conversations with Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Athletes (Presented in collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee)
6:30 p.m. Evening Show at Major's Hill Park featuring:
- Sally Folk (Que.) – Folk, pop, rock
- Colin White (Ont.) - Electronic
- Paper Lions (P.E.I.) – Pop, rock
Visitors to Major’s Hill Park will also have the opportunity to:
- cheer on the Flying Canucks as they perform “big air” manoeuvres in a must-see elite freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and trampoline show;
- learn about science and sports (Presented by GoodLife Fitness in collaboration with Scientists in Schools);
- challenge themselves with interactive hockey games and parasport activities;
- relive the memorable moments of Canada’s success at the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games through an inspiring photo exhibit;
- strike a pose in an Olympic boblsleigh or with Ceremonial Guards for a souvenir photo;
- visit Clara’s Celebration Plaza and check out a cool and diverse collection of gifts, artifacts, and mementos from Clara Hughes’ Big Ride (Presented by Bell Canada);
- participate in Zumba or the GoodLife Fitness Great Canadian Fitness Challenge (Presented by GoodLife Fitness);
- enjoy the antics of buskers and musicians throughout the park: Yahou, Kumpa’nia, BAM Percussion and the Ottawa Stilt Union;
- take a break at Chicken Corner—home of the 22nd Annual Great Canadian Chicken BBQ and delicious cooking demonstrations (Hosted by Chicken Farmers of Canada);
- ride the VIA Rail Miniature Train;
- explore farm-fun activities for the whole family (Presented by Grain Farmers of Ontario);
- discover the beauty of Canada’s national parks and historic sites (Presented by Parks Canada);
- see through the lens of scientists in Canada’s Great North (Presented by the Canadian Museum of Nature in collaboration with Students on Ice and the Canadian Wildlife Service);
- spin the wheel of trivia and test their national knowledge of our country’s history, geography, politics, and culture (Presented by Historica Canada); and
- try interactive games, face painting, and so much more!
A variety of activities for families, in particular for children aged 3 to 12, will be hosted at Jacques-Cartier Park. The Canada Day fun includes games, physical activities, performances, inflatable slides, and special activities to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the 1864 Charlottetown and Québec Conferences, which led to Canada’s Confederation.
Visitors to this location will have the chance to:
- be thrilled by a spectacular parachute demonstration by the SkyHawks at 11:30 a.m.;
- marvel at a giant sand sculpture created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference that led to Canada’s Confederation (In collaboration with Festival Merveilles de sable de Gatineau);
- create their own sand sculptures in sandboxes with various toys;
- take part in transforming giant murals into colourful works of art to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown and Québec Conferences;
- be amazed by the spectacular creatures of the Free-Flight Birds of Prey show;
- leave their artistic mark on three collaborative public art projects inspired by the picnic table;
- see what makes the winners of the 2014 Canada Day Challenge proud to be Canadian through art, photography, and creative writing;
- laugh and sing along with the hosts of TV’s Mini-TFO—Josée, Louis, and Lexie—as they take to the stage to celebrate;
- relive the olden days in a historical village with costumed characters, storytelling and traditional musicians;
- learn how to protect Gatineau Park with the park’s conservation officers and interpreters; and
- play cooperative games, bounce on inflatable games, have their face painted and more!
Main Stage Evening Show
7 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.
- Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk (Alberta) – Folk pop
- Maxime Landry* (Quebec) – Folk pop
*Broadcast live on Rouge FM network from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Other Sites
July 1 activities take place throughout the Capital Region. All day long, there will be free activities for revellers of all ages at most of the area’s national museums and institutions.
How to Get Around on Canada Day
Canadian Heritage is proud to partner with OC Transpo and the Société de transport de l’Outaouais for Canada Day festivities.
Those taking part in the celebrations can ride OC Transpo for FREE to and from events all day on Canada Day. After 10 p.m. STO buses will also be FREE of charge. With street closures and parking restrictions, public transportation will be one of the best options for residents and visitors heading downtown. Visit www.octranspo.com or www.sto.ca for more information.
A FREE Canada Day Shuttle Bus between Jacques-Cartier Park (Gatineau) and Major’s Hill Park (Ottawa) will be offered from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 1.
For those taking their bike to the celebration, Canadian Heritage is pleased to provide free supervised bike stations at Major’s Hill and Jacques-Cartier parks.
Canada Day Facts
- On July 1, 2014, Canada celebrates its 147th birthday.
- On average, the Canada Day sites in the Capital welcome 350,000 individuals, one third of whom are tourists.
- In 2011, Canada Day-related spending generated a total of $222 million in economic activity in Ontario and Quebec and $93 million within Canada’s Capital Region.
- Each year, more than 500 volunteers lend a hand on Canada Day, donating more than 3,500 volunteer hours. For the third year, the Canada Day Volunteer Program is proudly supported by Manulife.
- Every year, close to 425 artists from across Canada are invited to perform in the Capital Region on July 1.
- Size of the stage: 44 m × 15 m (145 ft × 50 ft)
- Sheets of plywood for the stage: 500
- Weight of the steel used to build the stage: approximately 175 tons
- Number of lighting fixtures: over 200
- Watts of sound for crowd PA: 250,000 watts
- Watts of sound on stage for production/artists: 24,000 watts
- Copper cable lengths: over 5 km
- Fibre/data cable lengths: over 1 km
- Manual connection points (electrical, data, control, etc.): over 11,000
- Video: over 2,400,000 video pixels spanning 150 square meters of surface
- Radio frequencies: 40 channels for performers plus 30 channels for communications (not including broadcasters and walkie-talkies)
- Production communication channels: 56 intercom stations (not including broadcasters)
- People working on site for the production (not including artists): 200
Parliament Hill: By the Numbers
- Size of the stage: 44 m × 15 m (145 ft × 50 ft)
- Sheets of plywood for the stage: 500
- Weight of the steel used to build the stage: approximately 175 tons
- Number of lighting fixtures: over 200
- Watts of sound for crowd PA: 250,000 watts
- Watts of sound on stage for production/artists: 24,000 watts
- Copper cable lengths: over 5 km
- Fibre/data cable lengths: over 1 km
- Manual connection points (electrical, data, control, etc.): over 11,000
- Video: over 2,400,000 video pixels spanning 150 square meters of surface
- Radio frequencies: 40 channels for performers plus 30 channels for communications (not including broadcasters and walkie-talkies)
- Production communication channels: 56 intercom stations (not including broadcasters)
- People working on site for the production (not including artists): 200
Our Thanks
Canadian Heritage is proud to organize the Canada Day celebrations in Canada’s Capital Region with the support of national sponsor Chicken Farmers of Canada, official sponsors Manulife, President’s Choice®, and Bell Canada, other sponsors such as GoodLife Fitness, McDonalds, VIA Rail Canada, Pizza Pizza, Pepsi, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Dairy Farmers of Canada, DAVIDsTEA, official hotels, The Westin Ottawa, Lord Elgin Hotel, Sheraton Ottawa Hotel and Crowne Plaza Gatineau–Ottawa, and more than 500 volunteers, whose help and dedication are invaluable.
Canadian Heritage also wishes to thank the following partners: CBC / Radio-Canada, Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, City of Ottawa, Commonwealth Games Canada, Historica Canada, House of Commons, National Capital Commission, OC Transpo, Ottawa Police Services, Parks Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Scientists in Schools, Senate of Canada, Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau, Société de transport de l’Outaouais, and Ville de Gatineau.
Associated Links
Canada Day website with links to mobile apps.
Canada Day in the Capital is on Facebook and Twitter.
Stay Connected
For more information (media only), please contact:
Marisa Monnin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca
