Thousands attend Canada Day celebrations
July 2, 2009 by Bram Rossman
Filed under Annual events, Columbia Valley, Coming events, Community, Headlines, Invermere, Local news
Thousands of people lined the streets to take in the parade. (Photo by Bram Rossman)
Thousands of people lined Invermere main streets yesterday (July 1) in order to watch the annual Canada Day parade, as the Columbia Valley celebrated their country’s birthday.
Kinsmen Beach was packed with people enjoying Canada Day festivities. (Photo by Bram Rossman)
A sea of red and white stretched from downtown all the way to Kinsmen Beach as the large parade wound its way through town. Fire trucks from Invermere, Panorama and Windermere followed a marching procession by the RCMP and the Royal Canadian Legion — all bearing Canadian flags. Behind the local emergency services was a long line of colourfully clad citizens, businesses and local organizations who displayed their national pride. The parade procession, including many creative costumes and fancy floats, wound up on the shores of Lake Windermere and marked the start of the Mountain Mosaic festival.
Staged in the large grassy area adjacent to Kinsmen Beach, the festival was officially opened with the singing of Oh Canada and the cutting of a large birthday cake provided by the District of Invermere. Live entertainment from musicians and performers, including the Arabian Mountain Spice belly dancers, continued throughout the afternoon.
Kids and their parents were clad in Canadian colours throughout downtown. (Photo by Bram Rossman)
While kids were entertained with face painting, arts and crafts and interesting sports activities, many adults were enthralled with a boat building contest that was going on throughout the afternoon. Organized to raise funds for two local RCMP officers who will be cycling in the Cops for Kids bike tour this summer, five teams were given $100 worth of materials (all donated by Home Hardware) to construct their crafts. Each team of three, using only hand tools, had to build their boat and race it around a course in Taynton Bay. While all the boats made it around the course, some were significantly more waterlogged then others and required their passengers to swim the boat ashore.
By all accounts this year’s parade and associated activities were the best attended ever.
Alex Sinclair, of Windermere, caught a special ride in the Windermere Fire Department's engine during the parade. His father Drew and grandfather Doug are both on the department. (Photo by Bram Rossman)
The Windermere Water Wizards (aka the Windermere Fire Department) paddled their green boat to second place victory in the boat race. (Photo by Chris Gent)
Canada Day celebrations kicked off early in the Columbia Valley with a midnight fireworks display on June 30. (Photo by Bram Rossman)
Copyright © 2009 columbiavalleynews.com
we have just returned to Australia from beautiful Invermere and the photos of Canada day look awesome. I am so jealous that we were not there to enjoy all the activities. Invermere is such a beautiful town with so many activities and the scenery is indescribable. Watching the fireworks from the top of Mt Swansea would have been a dream.