Canada Day Celebrations at the University of Waterloo

O Canada!

If you were anywhere near Columbia Lake at 10 pm on July 1^st, you would have been able to enjoy the Canada Day fireworks lighting up the sky in celebration of Canada’s 144^th birthday. As always, UW students had prepared day-long celebrations to share with the local community.

Volunteers arrived at the Icefields early on July 1^st to set up all of the activities. A long line of inflatables popped up along the rugby field, while Engineering and Math students set up their stations on the two practice fields. On the main soccer pitch, vendors brought in stalls to sell food, crafts and other products. Several booths from various groups also went up, including Waste Management, the Kitchener Rangers, Scouts Canada, EWB and UWSP.

Without a doubt, Engineering had one of the best showings of the day. Our mini-Olympics setup was a huge hit with the children who attend the event. They had the option of competing in an obstacle course, running in a three-legged race, hopping in a potato sack race, standing firm in a tug-of-war, or testing their knowledge in a quiz on Canadian trivia. Do you know where they race hollowed-out pumpkins as boats or which city is known for its albino squirrels? With the warm weather, trying out the waterslides was incredibly popular for kids of all ages (including those from 19-23), and many of the volunteers bravely sat over the dunk tank for the amusement of all.

Midway through the day, The TOOL made an appearance, showing support for the festivities. The TOOL Bearers showed their own form of patriotic spirit, coming dressed in brilliant red coveralls and maple leaf-emblazoned face masks. Everyone was encouraged to grab a photo opportunity with The TOOL. They could even try on coveralls and pose with The Mini-TOOL for photos.

As the sun finally made its way over the horizon, crowds began to swarm towards the north of campus. Getting a seat on the field was a challenge, but definitely worth it. Displays of colour exploded across the sky.  The view was wonderful, especially given the completely clear skies.

The day was incredible, and it couldn’t have been a success without the Canada Day directors Eric Evenchick, Kristine Campbell and Adriana Cameron, and the amazing team of volunteers who put tons of energy into the day. Despite a few sunburns and a long day of work, I definitely think you should consider helping out with next year’s celebrations if you’re in Waterloo.