Photo Credit: NCC/CCN

Join us as we celebrate our country’s birthday in Canada’s Capital Region! A myriad of free activities take place throughout the day on both sides of the Ottawa River — including street entertainers, games, ceremonies and performances — all culminating in a breathtaking fireworks show in the night sky. Don your red and white, and take part in the festivities, as we proudly celebrate our country’s history and our Canadian traditions.

Festival Information:

General information: 613.239.5000 ● 1.800.465.1867 ● 613.239.5090 (TTY) ● 1.866.661.3530 (toll-free TTY)

General information email: info@ncc-ccn.ca

Location:   Parliament Hill, Jacques-Cartier Park, Major’s Hill Park & Confederation Park, Ottawa, ON

On the Web:

Website: www.canadaday.gc.ca

Map:

View Canada Day in a larger map

This year’s Ottawa’s Canada Day Arts Festival begins on June 30, 2011 with a special performance by the Nepean Concert Band. The Canada Day Festival has talented performers, unique entertainment and fun for the whole family from June 22 through July 1. We invite everyone to Andrew Haydon Park in the city’s west-end to savor foods for every palette and enjoy the colourful entertainment and activities offered by a variety of stellar performers. There’s something for everyone – midway rides and games, helicopter rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, a car show, face painting, live musical band, entertainment, beer tent, cultural events and a Canada Day fireworks display like no other. Best of all, admission to the festival is free!

Event Highlights:

• Marching band
• Live entertainment
• Children’s games
• Pony rides
• Petting farm animals zoo
• Car show
• Cultural events
• Food concessions

Festival Information:

General information: 613.567.4532

General information email: info@canadadayfestival.com

Locations:

Julianna Park – 870 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON

Dow’s Lake – 1001 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Ottawa, ON

Tickets:

www.canadadayfestival.com

On the Web:

Website:  www.canadadayfestival.com

Map:
View Larger Map

Canada Day festivities in 2017 should be turned into a weeklong “Canadian Cultural Festival,” says Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

The city should work with the National Arts Centre, National Capital Commission, provincial and territorial governments and the private sector to create the event between June 25 and July 1 in the year of Canada’s 150th birthday, Watson said in prepared remarks to an Ottawa Kiwanis Club luncheon.

Full story at Canada.com Ottawa Mayor wants big bang on Canada’s 150th birthday

Organizers of the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival are looking for new sponsors for their 2012 Canada Day programming after the National Capital Commission (NCC) said it’s pulling its funding.

Funding from a second sponsor, Galaxie, is also up in the air according to the festival’s executive producer, Catherine O’Grady.

The NCC has partnered with the festival since 2005 to provide funding so that it could offer free jazz programming and a Jazz Youth Summit on Canada Day.

Last year, the NCC gave the festival $45,000 and $60,000 the year before. Next year, all funding will be withdrawn.

Read more on the Metro Ottawa website: Funding cut to Canada Day jazz programming

OTTAWA — The National Capital Commission is looking for a fireworks company to blow up about $70,000 worth of pretty explosives for the next three Canada Days, with an option to extend the contract to cover 2015 as well.

The first three years of the deal would be worth $210,000, according to bid documents the NCC posted on a popular contracting bulletin-board. Each year’s show is to last 15 minutes, the document says, and must: “[s]ustain the enthusiasm of the spectators. It shall have an impressive beginning, a moderately paced middle portion followed by a grand finale. The Display shall be spectacular, colourful and appealing to the spectators.”

It’s the same amount the commission has paid Royal Pyrotechnie of Saint-Pie, Quebec, for fireworks displays over the last several years. The $70,000-a-year bill makes the fireworks shot from Nepean Point one of the bigger displays in Canada — Toronto has several fireworks shows in different parts of town but they’re mostly in the $15,000 to $30,000 range. Vancouver’s Canada Day fireworks are shot over Burrard Inlet, funded to the tune of about $100,000 from the municipalities bordering the water, private sponsors, and the federal government.
Read more on the website: Help wanted: NCC tenders for a fireworks firm to thrill the Canada Day crowds

Canada Day saw masses of people at Confederation Park in downtown Ottawa. Two boys were swimming in the fountain while three others gathered the pennies people had thrown in for good luck while I strolled past. Mobs of people were licking ice cream cones and eating rotis, sipping beer and enjoying poutine along with the all-day free jazz concerts at the 31st annual TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival.

What we heard on this perfect, star-filled night was an absolutely unique bluegrass-jazz crossover displaying what the festival brochure describes as “a special kinship between the four musicians, a bond forged over 20 years ago in a mutual passion for creativity and artistic advancement.” After playing with various artists and taking a hiatus, Fleck reconvened the original Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, that amazing initial line-up of an incredible combo.

Ottawans and fellow jazz lovers were fortunate to have the opportunity to hear these stars play. It was definitely a night to remember.

Full review on the Epoch Times website: Top-Notch Musicians Play Ottawa Jazz Festival

Ottawa’s races, festivals and regular tourist attractions pack people in all summer, and when the big crowds descend, volunteers shine.

Starting tomorrow, numbers comparable to Friday’s massive Canada Day crowd (albeit spread over two weeks) will descend on LeBreton Flats for Bluesfest. Waiting for them will be a mighty complement of 3,8000 volunteers.

Bluesfest volunteers are perhaps better compensated than most, enjoying a free pass to the festival if they sign up for six four-hour shifts, but they take care of practically everything on the grounds.

Full comment as appeared in Metro: Volunteers help make Bluesfest sing

Canada’s Capital Region ¾ An original and breathtaking fireworks display brought to a resounding close Canada’s 144^th birthday in the Capital. The largest Canada Day celebration in the country was larger than ever this year due in part to Their Royal Highnesses, Prince William and Catherine, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who attended the noon and evening events on Parliament Hill.

“The National Capital Commission thanks the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who gathered in the heart of capital,” says Marie Lemay, NCC Chief Executive Officer. “Today the world has seen Canadians coming together in celebration of the 144th birthday of our nation.”

Crowd estimate

The National Capital Commission (NCC), along with its partners and sponsors, is proud to confirm that a crowd estimated at 300 000 participated in the noon celebration in the downtown core.

The evening show on Parliament Hill attracted a crowd estimated at about 100 000 residents and visitors in the same area.

A different evening show

This year, the NCC was the sole producer of the entire show with the goal of making a seamless showcase of Canadian artists performing together in ways seldom seen before. The goal was reached. On Parliament Hill and across the country on radio and television, it was a show that celebrates Canada.

Canada Day is the biggest party in the country.

The 2011 celebration is extra special because their Prince William and his new bride, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, will be celebrating along with thousands of their loyal subjects on Parliament Hill.

This year’s theme, “Canada: A proud past, a bright future,” includes a special tribute to citizenship and to the Canadian Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan.

Here is the expected time table for July 1:

11:46 ET -  Guard of Honour marches.

12:01  –   Prime Minister Stephen Harper & family arrives

12:07  –   Arrival of Gov. Gen. David Johnston and his wife **will arrive in a Landau with RCMP on horseback.

Read more on Sun News website: Royal couple to arrive in Ottawa for Canada Day

With just a little over two weeks to go until the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set foot on Canadian soil, Canadians can expect to get more details of the tour this week.

A spokesperson from the Department of Canadian Heritage stated that the full itinerary of the couple’s eight day tour would be released this week.

The Duke and Duchess will arrive in Ottawa on Thursday, June 30, and take part in Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill on July 1st.   The celebrations on the Hill will see performances by Great Big Sea, Sam Roberts and Maria Aragon, the 11 year old internet star.

Following their visit to Ottawa, the couple will visit Montreal, Quebec City, Prince Edward Island, Yellowknife and Calgary.

James Moore the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the department organizing the royal tour,  did reveal a few more details of the visit to the Globe and Mail.

Read more on the Examiner website:  William and Catherine’s Canadian tour itinerary set to be released