All week long, CTV Kitchener is taking a look at events and activities happening in our area for the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Today’s list is a little short on organized events. Instead, it’s comprised mostly of things you can do on your own on Saturday – or any other day!
61) Wear red and white clothing. It’s simple and it gets the point across. Or take things one step further by painting the Canadian flag on your face.
62) Give a gift to the future by planting a maple tree – just make sure you have permission if you’re not on your own property.
63) Quick, think of a Canadian animal! Was it a moose? Or a beaver? Have you ever seen either of them in the wild? Well, why not? Find out where they live and take a trip to see them.
64) Go birdwatching, and keep an eye out for a grey jay. Also known as the whiskey jack, it was named Canada’s national bird last year by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Ontario’s official bird, if you were wondering, is the loon.
65) Did you know that Canada also has a national horse? Sensibly enough, it’s the Canadian horse. See if you can find one.
66) Woodside National Historic Site will be opened up to the public on Canada Day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A citizenship ceremony takes place at 2 p.m., with cake and lemonade to follow.
67) Pick your favourite Canadian delicacy – poutine, butter tarts, or something else entirely – and taste-test as many different versions as you can. Whose is best?
68) Not all Canadian foods are quite so savoury. You can find that out for yourself by eating a McIntosh apple or heating up some instant mashed potatoes.
69) Create the ultimate Canadian playlist and listen to it from start to finish.
70) Wish your neighbour a happy Canada Day. Even if you don’t know them. Especially if you don’t know them.
71) Read a book by a Canadian author. Not sure which one to pick up? Head to your local library for a suggestion.
72) There’s a lot more to Canadian fashion than tuques and turtlenecks. Learn about it at the Fashion History Museum in Cambridge, which has an exhibit on 150 years of Canadian fashion running until December.
73) The Kitchener Market will be open on Canada Day, with live music, face-painting, craft activities and more.
74) Lacrosse is Canada’s official summer sport. Give it a try.
75) If you’d rather stick to a summer version of Canada’s official winter sport, head outside for a game of road hockey. No nets? Use rocks to mark the two posts. No sticks? Use anything that’s vaguely the same shape.
76) You can also opt for an indoor game with Canadian roots. Five-pin bowling was invented more than a century ago by Thomas F. Ryan, who grew up in Guelph. Unlike basketball creator James Naismith, Ryan was still in Canada when he came up with his sport.
77) Sing “O Canada”. Now sing it in French. Don’t know the words? Learn them.
78) Hang a Canadian flag outside your house. Or use sidewalk chalk to create one. Or mow your lawn, leaving a maple leaf shape behind.
79) Kitchener’s Schneider Haus is promising special guests and hands-on activities for the Canada Day weekend, including free admission on Saturday and a cake-cutting at 2 p.m.
80) No matter what the weather is like, find a way to complain about it. What’s more Canadian than that?
81) Stand in the place where you are. Now face east. Turn just a few degrees northward. Now you’re more or less facing Buckingham Palace. Take a bow or give a curtsy. The Queen won’t notice – but it’s the thought that counts, right?
82) Ever heard of amethyst? It’s Ontario’s official mineral. See if you can find something made from it.
83) Grab your canoe or kayak – or borrow one from a friend if you need to – and head for the nearest safe body of water.
84) Don’t want to hit the water? Take a hike! Explore southern Ontario’s plants and animals in their natural habitats.
85) The Waterloo Region Museum on Huron Road has a special Canada 150 activity room. There’s also free admission on Saturday as family-friendly activities take over the museum grounds.
86) THEMUSEUM in downtown Kitchener has been showing its Canadian spirit for months with a massive flag outside its building. On Saturday, it hosts a citizenship ceremony at 10:30 a.m. and a performance by the Kitchener Musical Society Band.
87) The telephone was invented in Brantford in 1874 by Alexander Graham Bell. Honour one of Canada’s most famous inventors by taking a few minutes out of your day and giving somebody a call.
88) Speaking of Canadian inventions, the Robertson screw was developed when P.L. Robertson got an idea for a screwdriver that wouldn’t cause as many accidental cuts to hands as the then-popular slot screwdrivers. Find something in your house that uses square-headed screws and thank P.L. Robertson for his idea!
89) Try to spend a day speaking only French. If you already know a fair bit of French, try to spend a day speaking only an indigenous language.
90) If you’re in Guelph at noon on Canada Day, you’ll want to have one ear on the sky. Four downtown churches will ring their bells simultaneous for two minutes, after which O Canada will be sung from the lawn of St. George’s Church at 99 Woolwich Street.