(Stolen from the web)
It was national party day in Canada! I would put one of MY pictures up there, but I'm being lazy about fiddling with my phone to get the pics and wanna get to bed. :)
Normally I go to the celebrations in Surrey or Vancouver so I have packhorses to carry my stuff. (Hey, you try juggling crutch, backpack AND a foldup chair!) but this year I decided I was gonna stay in the Fraser Valley. After zero of my friends showed any interest in my company, I said the heck with them, I'll go on my lonesome. I can have fun in a cardboard box if I put my mind to it. Unlike my bunny, however, I won't actually EAT said cardboard box!
So, I went down to the Chilliwack celebration not expecting a whole heck of a lot. It was held at Heritage Park and after 6.5 years of living in this part of the world, it was the first time I'd been on the grounds. (My local readers have just face-palmed.) A long walk from the parking lot to the stage, and a lot of home grown talent. Some of it was definitely better than others, but all had talent.. A great ska band (The Lazy Susans), a great cover band (Da Boys), some dancers, the Bruinettes, lots of stuff. Then at 10pm was the long awaited fireworks.
Again, I wasn't expecting a whole heck of a lot. But WOW. I would say the Chilliwack fireworks were EASILY as good as the Surrey ones and certainly better than the ones I saw in Vancouver at Canada Place. Fifteen minutes of an incredible fireworks show. (My bunny, for the record, doesn't even twitch an ear at fireworks. Not that I'd have subjected her to those crowds!)
Then the exodus. I had brought a book in preparation. (I'm a smart cookie like that) I was surprised *yet again!* I think I read for about 7 minutes before I could just pull forward and out to the far exit. It was orderly, it was polite, and there was no honking traffic jam. (Or at least, there wasn't to go south, I don't know about the other two exits!) Thank you to the RCMP who were working on Canada Day, in the rain that started at 10:30pm. (Right after the fireworks ended, in fact.)
The quotes of the evening include :
Mayor Sharon Gaetz : Is everyone proud of the Canadian hockey team for winning gold??! [Cheers] And wasn't it cute when the boys won too??
Anna (one of the MCs) : It's CANADA DAY, people! [cheers] Canada is 143! [cheeers] Today is the first weekend of summer vacation! [Many cheers] The first day of HST! [a lot of boos] [She turns to Chuck Strahl] Aren't you glad you're Federal and not provincial??
MP Chuck Strahl : Darn straight!
[Mayor Gaetz was laughing at this point]
MP Chuck Strahl was also seen bunny hopping with a group of teenagers as the crowd moved from stage to fireworks. Wish I'd had my camera ready!
It was certainly a fun evening and I'm very glad I went. And heck, the price was certainly right. :D
Sage celebrated the evening with a piece of papaya, a piece of carrot and a snooze. It's a rough bunny life.
Normally I go to the celebrations in Surrey or Vancouver so I have packhorses to carry my stuff. (Hey, you try juggling crutch, backpack AND a foldup chair!) but this year I decided I was gonna stay in the Fraser Valley. After zero of my friends showed any interest in my company, I said the heck with them, I'll go on my lonesome. I can have fun in a cardboard box if I put my mind to it. Unlike my bunny, however, I won't actually EAT said cardboard box!
So, I went down to the Chilliwack celebration not expecting a whole heck of a lot. It was held at Heritage Park and after 6.5 years of living in this part of the world, it was the first time I'd been on the grounds. (My local readers have just face-palmed.) A long walk from the parking lot to the stage, and a lot of home grown talent. Some of it was definitely better than others, but all had talent.. A great ska band (The Lazy Susans), a great cover band (Da Boys), some dancers, the Bruinettes, lots of stuff. Then at 10pm was the long awaited fireworks.
Again, I wasn't expecting a whole heck of a lot. But WOW. I would say the Chilliwack fireworks were EASILY as good as the Surrey ones and certainly better than the ones I saw in Vancouver at Canada Place. Fifteen minutes of an incredible fireworks show. (My bunny, for the record, doesn't even twitch an ear at fireworks. Not that I'd have subjected her to those crowds!)
Then the exodus. I had brought a book in preparation. (I'm a smart cookie like that) I was surprised *yet again!* I think I read for about 7 minutes before I could just pull forward and out to the far exit. It was orderly, it was polite, and there was no honking traffic jam. (Or at least, there wasn't to go south, I don't know about the other two exits!) Thank you to the RCMP who were working on Canada Day, in the rain that started at 10:30pm. (Right after the fireworks ended, in fact.)
The quotes of the evening include :
Mayor Sharon Gaetz : Is everyone proud of the Canadian hockey team for winning gold??! [Cheers] And wasn't it cute when the boys won too??
Anna (one of the MCs) : It's CANADA DAY, people! [cheers] Canada is 143! [cheeers] Today is the first weekend of summer vacation! [Many cheers] The first day of HST! [a lot of boos] [She turns to Chuck Strahl] Aren't you glad you're Federal and not provincial??
MP Chuck Strahl : Darn straight!
[Mayor Gaetz was laughing at this point]
MP Chuck Strahl was also seen bunny hopping with a group of teenagers as the crowd moved from stage to fireworks. Wish I'd had my camera ready!
It was certainly a fun evening and I'm very glad I went. And heck, the price was certainly right. :D
Sage celebrated the evening with a piece of papaya, a piece of carrot and a snooze. It's a rough bunny life.
Yay Happy Canada Day!!! Sounds like a great time, can we come next year??
ReplyDelete"Small" town fun. Here we live about right in between Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Mt. Vernon, and Anacortes. None bigger than about 15,000 folks - all have big displays on July 4, plus the Casino out our front window does and also the Speedway. Front row Central, right from the deck! Plus, we can go watch a fun tractor parade!
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