City of Kitchener prepares to welcome back in-person Canada Day celebrations
The City of Kitchener is planning a big Canada Day celebration Friday, with live music, activities, and of course, fireworks.
It’s been two years since Canada Day celebrations were held in person, due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting events.
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said he’s excited to have the community come together again.
“The last two years have been hard on people. We’ve missed that interpersonal connection with each other. It’s something all of us, as human beings, thrive for on varying degrees,” he said.
The event will be held at the newly renovated Carl Zehr Square outside city hall. It will mark the first event held at the square since construction began in 2020.
The festivities will include live music, featuring several local artists as well Rufus John, Bad Child, Alyssa Reid and Glass Tiger.
“In fact, some of the acts are acts that were originally booked since 2020 and have been held until now, when we can finally come together again in-person,” Vrbanovic said.
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic appears during an interview with CTV News on June 30, 2022. (CTV Kitchener)
The night will end with a nine-minute firework show.
Jeff Young, the manager of special events with the City of Kitchener, said planning the celebration is a year-long process.
“There’s so much going into it, whether it’s booking talent, stages, closing roads, staffing, custodial, security. All those things that go on behind the scenes, so that when guests show up the day of, it’s a smooth and enjoyable day for them,” Young said.
The celebration starts at 3 p.m. and goes until 10:30 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.