This week is short, which means it’s already weekend, and it’s a special one! Tomorrow is Canada Day, the national holiday which celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation from July 1st, 1867 where the three separate colonies of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada.
There are a few options to celebrate Canada Day:
You could come celebrate with INTERNeX at Wreck Beach. The weather will be sunny and there’s a big party going on. Everyone is welcome to join. Just make sure you bring enough food and drinks with you since the beach is not too easy to access with it’s 490 steps. The walk is worth it though, from here you can see the most beautiful sunset in Vancouver. The vibes are immaculate. It’s definitely something you have to see for yourself, but be aware: at this beach clothing is optional, so it’s nothing for sensitive eyes. 😉
Another option would be Canada place. Each year there’s a bunch of food trucks, live music, and entertainment. Performers include Johnny Reid, The Boom Booms, Omega Mighty, and many more.The event at Canada Place is the second largest Canada Day celebration, next only to those in Ottawa, Canada’s capital. To be honest though, it seemed very small to me when I went. If you look for a parade, jazz concerts, street performers, and craft activities, Granville Island is the place for you. It’s a little more family oriented than other locations, but still a fun place to visit, even on regular days.
I think in general you just need to go outside and you’ll find a celebration somewhere! Your dress code should be red and/or white, the same colours as the Canadian flag, for the full experience. 😉
There’s also another side to Canada Day that I want to talk about. It attracted a negative stigma among some Indigenous peoples in Canada and their allies, who feel that it is a celebration of the colonization of Indigenous land. That’s because prior to European colonization, present-day Canada was inhabited by Indigenous peoples, with distinct trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and styles of social organization. You’ve probably noticed signs in and around Vancouver that refer to the Indigenous peoples and their language. This topic is very complex and takes some time to explain, but I think it’s important to spread awareness and talk about different sides of this country. If you are interested there’s lots of things to learn!
Here are, for example, some links for you to check out about Indigenous languages in BC:
https://maps.fpcc.ca/languages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WugI6-XUzA
I think it’s good to acknowledge the different feelings Canada Day sparks amongst the population. For many, it isn’t about history though, it’s a day to celebrate people, diversity, and inclusion in a beautiful country, and that’s what I like to celebrate!
Whatever you decide on, I’m sure you’ll have a great weekend, and an even better Canada Day! 🙂
As for a few others of us, we’ll go to Las Vegas on Sunday for even more celebrations! But that’s a different story. I’ll tell you about it once we’re back. 🙂
Can’t wait to hear about your weekend!
Cheers,
Laura 🙂
Me and my fellow students Barbara and Franzi went to the Rocky Mountains this weekend. We did a 4 day tour, so it started on Friday and we came back to Vancouver on Monday. The first day was more or less just the drive to our first hotel in Revelstoke. But the program on Saturday was really eventful. We went to the Emerald Lake, to Lake Louise and to Lake Moraine. I’ve never seen such a blue, clear water. However, Lake Peyto (which we’ve visited on Sunday) was my highlight of all the lakes we saw. When you have a look at the picture, you will understand why.
Even though we arrived a bit later in Vancouver on Monday than we expected, we were still able to see the firework of Canada Day. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
It was the first Baseball match I ever watched and I have to say it took me some time to fully understand the specific rules. But after patient explanations by Billy and Samuel and observing the field, I was able to follow the game. In the end “our team” (the Vancouver Canadians) won. The three hours we spent at the stadium got us freezing and the majority was ready to head home and get some rest. The 50 minute-journey home turned into a nightmare ride of 1.5 hours, because the Skytrain seemed to be experiencing some operational/technical problems. But in the end I arrived safely and happily.
We met at 4.30 pm and watched the life performance by Jojo Mason. I really enjoyed the songs and covers he performed. His attitude was just so positive! And as he sang the national anthem, everything somehow stopped. Nothing but his voice filled the air and you could hear the Vancouverites sing along with pride. It felt as if the world stood still. Just for a moment. I definitely got goosebumps.
It was really beautiful and shapes like smileys and hearts lit up the sky over Coal Harbour. After that, it was a real struggle getting home, because it felt like the entire population of Vancouver was at Canada Place and now tried to get home. The line for the Expo Line was several hundred metres long. But I succeeded and once I got on the train I got home quite quickly.
It’s the last day of the weekend already and I’d advise you to take it slow and relax a little. Fortunately, not everyone is as lazy as I am, so for those active among you, here are some tips for the perfect ending of the long weekend: How about some more action at a Paintball combat with your friends? Grab them and head out to North Vancouver where you can get another adrenaline-kick. If you want the rather “light” version, you can play Archery Tag in Richmond. You won’t get hurt, but it’s the same amount of fun!
INTERNeX Canada 
