City of Toronto helping residents celebrate Canada Day

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

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News Release:  June 26, 2014   

City of Toronto helping residents celebrate Canada Day

The City of Toronto encourages residents and visitors to enjoy Canada Day and celebrate Canada's 147th birthday in Toronto on Tuesday, July 1. A City-organized event will be held at North York Civic Centre's Mel Lastman Square and community events will be held across Toronto.

Canada Day celebration at Mel Lastman Square The City will celebrate Canada Day at Mel Lastman Square on Tuesday, July 1 from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Free face-painting will be available by Picasso Painters from 5 to 8 p.m. Zero Gravity Circus presents its Circus Wonderland featuring aerial acrobats at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. Juno-award-winning singer-songwriter Justin Rutledge performs at 8 p.m., followed by Canadian alternative country band NQ Arbuckle at 9 p.m. The Canada Day celebration at Mel Lastman Square concludes with fireworks by Circus Orange at 10:15 p.m.

East

Scarborough’s 47th annual Canada Day celebration in Thomson Park will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event will include a free pancake breakfast, buskers, bouncy inflatables, entertainment and a craft show/sale. Seniors can participate in a slo-pitch ball game. More information is available by calling 416-338-1968.

The annual Canada Day parade will begin at 4 p.m. west of the Scarborough Civic Centre on Brimley Road, ending at Lawrence Avenue East and Brimley Road at about 5:30 p.m. More information is available by calling 416-396-4069.

A free fireworks display at Milliken Park will begin at dusk. More information is available by calling 416-396-7757.

North

The Old Style Community Picnic will be held at the Broadlands Community Centre and Park, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Activities include face painting, games, clown entertainment and folk singing. More information is available by calling 416-395-7966.

South and Central

The annual Canada Day fireworks display at Ashbridges Bay will begin at 10 p.m. on July 1. Residents who are planning to attend are encouraged to leave personal vehicles at home and use public transit. 

East York’s 57th annual Canada Day parade with marching bands at Dieppe Park will start at 10 a.m. and move east to Stan Wadlow Park, where the motorcade is scheduled to finish at noon. 

The celebrations at Stan Wadlow Park will take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and include live entertainment and a display of antique cars. The Kiwanis Pool will be open from noon to 7 p.m. The fireworks display will start at 10:15 p.m. and the park will close at 11 p.m.

West

The 15th annual Toronto Ribfest will be held at Centennial Park from June 27 to July 1, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with 16 professional ribbers, live music and midway rides. On Canada Day there will be a fireworks display at 10 p.m. More information is available at http://www.torontoribfest.com. 

The annual Canada Day event at Amesbury Park will start at 11 a.m. Activities include a barbecue, live entertainment, marketplace, strongman competition and activities for children, plus fireworks at 10 p.m. More information is available at http://www.amesburycanadaday.ca.           

Reminder: Members of the public are not allowed to light fireworks or consume alcohol in City of Toronto parks. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks.

Swimming, parks and community centres

City of Toronto parks, outdoor swimming pools, wading pools and splash pads will all be open on Canada Day. Indoor pools and community centres will be closed on Canada Day. More information and swimming pool schedules are available at http://www.toronto.ca/swim. Water quality reports for local beaches are available at http://www.toronto.ca/health/swimsafe/index.htm.

Golf

All five City golf courses will be open and offer holiday rates on July 1. More information about hours and location is available at http://www.toronto.ca/golf.

Historic Sites

Several of the City's 11 historic sites will be open and offer Canada Day programming as follows:

Colborne Lodge:

Colborne will have an information and activity table from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. during the Canada Day celebration in High Park hosted by Peggy Nash, MP for Parkdale-High Park. Additionally, Colborne Lodge will be open to visitors for tours from noon to 5 p.m. Regular admission applies.

Fort York:

Fort York is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fort's Summer Guard will kick off the season by performing musket and artillery drills, including fife and drum music. Concerts will be presented by world music ensemble Lalun, Taylor Ho Bynum and Tomas Fujiwara, and Tethera. Admission is free. Families can also enjoy face painting, rocket-making workshops, and hula-hooping. The Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies presents the Tour for Humanity educational experience. The Canadian Armed Forces Afghanistan Memorial Vigil will be on site inside the Blue Barracks. Fort York Canada Day temporary tattoos and Canadian flags will be available.

Mackenzie House:

Mackenzie House is open from noon to 5 p.m. In the printshop participants will learn about the role of the media in Confederation and print a Canada Day souvenir using a 19th century printing press. Regular admission applies.

Montgomery's Inn:

The inn will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors can take part in guided tours and visit the inn for tea and Inn-made strawberry ice cream, and strawberry rhubarb compote on shortcake with whipped cream and a fresh berry in the tea room. Admission, $10 plus tax, includes a tour.

Scarborough Museum:

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can play croquet, take part in a pie-eating contest, sample treats from historic recipes, pick up a Canadian flag and enjoy a piece of Happy Birthday Canada cake.

Spadina Museum Historic House and Gardens:

The museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. and will feature a themed tour, Meet the Austins: A Toronto Family Between the Wars, at various times. Visitors will see the history of Toronto through the eyes of the Austin family, whose members made what is now Spadina Museum their home. Regular admission applies.

Todmorden Mills:

Todmorden Mills will be involved in the Canada Day celebrations at Stan Wadlow Park. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public will learn about Todmorden's connections to the history of East York, see a collection of 19th-century toys and create a take-home craft.

More information about these and other events at City of Toronto Historic Sites is available at http://www.toronto.ca/museum-events.

Municipal services

City of Toronto offices, including customer-service counters/kiosks, will be closed on Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1.

Solid Waste Management Services will operate on a regular schedule. That includes day/night collections, transfer stations, litter bins for streets/parks and drop-off depots (including household hazardous waste).

Toronto’s long-term care homes will remain open on Canada Day.

City of Toronto Early Learning and Child Care Centres, City of Toronto Archives, and Toronto Public Library locations will be closed on July 1.

All City emergency services and 24-hour operations will be provided as usual on Canada Day. For emergency response, call 911.

The City's 311 information service will be operating as usual on July 1.

More information about Canada Day events, programs and services is available at http://www.toronto.ca.  

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1wC0GLt

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

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Media contact: Leisa Odlum, Strategic Communications, 416-397-5313, lodlum@toronto.ca