If you’re looking for something to do this July 1, then the Westlock area has several celebrations planned for Canada’s 145th birthday.
Westlock’s Canada Day celebrations include a community barbecue hosted at the Westlock Aquatic Centre, starting at 2 p.m. There will be free cake, face-painting, sidewalk chalk drawing and a colouring contest for kids.
Starting at 2:15 p.m., there will also be hay rides departing from the Westlock Aquatic Centre and traveling to the Canadian Tractor Museum, Pioneer Museum and the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre. Hay rides depart every 45 minutes.
Inside the centre, there will be a free swim from 1-5 p.m. The Rotary Spirit Centre will also host drop-in street hockey and free play for anyone wanting to try soccer or badminton. Mountie Park will also play host to horseshoes, bocce ball and croquet.
At about 10 p.m., folk duo “The Gear Seabastian” will provide some pre-firework entertainment behind the Westlock Aquatic Centre. Fireworks will then begin at 11 p.m.
Dapp
Dapp’s Canada Day celebrations starts off with a pancake breakfast from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Dapp Community Hall, followed by a parade at 11 a.m.
There will then be children’s games and activities at the Dapp ball diamonds, including some contests There will also be concessions and a beer garden all day. Finally, the day wraps with a steak supper at the hall for $15 per plate.
Clyde
In the Village of Clyde, kids are invited to decorate themselves and their bikes for a Canada Day “kiddie parade”.
Anyone interested in taking part should go to Eleanor Hall School at 10:30 a.m. The parade will start at 11 a.m. and head to the Clyde Cenotaph for a short ceremony.
In the afternoon, there will be goodie bags handed out at the community hall along with a free barbecue. There will also be clown games, face painting and balloon animals.
Pickardville
Pickardville’s Canada Day celebrations will begin with a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Pickardville Hall.
A parade will then run through the community at 10:30 a.m. Laurie Moon, who is helping to organize the Canada Day celebration, said last year’s parade was actually double the size of what it usually is and they’re expecting much the same this year.
Following the parade, there will be an antique car show hosted along Main Street and a tractor show directly south of the United Church, where there will also be pie and coffee served in the afternoon.
The Marcel Boucher Memorial Horseshoe Tournament will be hosted behind the fire hall. Right beside the hall will be a variety of children’s activities, like ball throws and face-painting.
Returning this year will be an odd event that was introduced in 2011: a “cow patty” bingo. Moon said this event is basically just like it sounds — there’s a cow in a pen divided into squares that you can buy, and you can win prizes based on where the cow … well, you can guess the rest.
There will be a firemen’s steak supper from 5-7 p.m. in the Pickardville Hall, more family games in the basement of the St. Benoit Church at 7 p.m. and fireworks around 11 p.m.
Fawcett
Fawcett’s Canada Day celebrations will also mark the community’s centennial celebration, as the community was founded 100 years ago.
Fawcett’s party will kick off with a pancake breakfast hosted by the 44 North Hockey Club from 8-10 a.m. at the hall.
A parade will then run through the community at 11 a.m., starting at the school grounds. This year will feature the Edmonton and District Pipe Band as special guests.
There will be a beef on the bun lunch at the Fawcett Drop-in Centre at noon, along with a silent auction. A horseshoe tournament will also be held at the drop-in centre at 1 p.m.
The ball grounds will play host to a variety of kids’ games at 1 p.m., but there will also be a ball tournament, beer gardens and a beach volleyball tournament from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Main Street will play host to a show n’ shine of cars in the afternoon and there will be tours of W.R. Frose School from 2-4 p.m.
The Fawcett Hall will again host a spaghetti supper from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by a dance. There will also be a fireworks display after dark.
