Canada Day 2012

A proud Canadian!

Today, July 1, is Canada’s birthday and we have stayed in Nakusp to celebrate it! 

Our day started at approximately 7am when the fire engine drove around town, sirens on, announcing to all Canada Day had started and that breakfast was to be served at the Fire Hall. Breakfast? Pancakes, syrup, crispy bacon, coffee and, for the less patriotic, sausage.

Pancake Line up!

We walked to the hall. Lined up. Got brekky. Sat down with Gary and Marie and their daughter, Rachel’s family from Kamloops. Ate. So far so good.  

Next on the agenda was the parade. And today’s parade was going to be special as it was not only Canda Day but Nakusp’s birthday  - Birthday number 120 to be exact and this, too, called for a parade.  

Something to ponder before breakfast - how much wood would this wood weigh?

Pat and Jan - Pat is the one with the frills. 

Sad to say though God must be an American for as the parade was about to start and the seconds ticked towards the 11am start time the first heavy drips of rain plummeted to earth. At 11 am sharp the parade began and with it the down pour! The crowds, bathed already in a sea of red and white, were quickly drenched but their commitment was not diminished! I stood proudly under a Canadian umbrella that I had purchased minutes before when rain became undeniable and enjoyed the parade.

Not-so-cozy-cars.

First up was a long line of classic cars – many convertables – with hoods optimistically and unwisely down.

Who can stop the rain?

Many of the local businesses had - the aptly named – floats. Best of all from the kid’s perspectives was the generous candy delivering that the floats practiced – lollies [aka candy] were thrown out regularly and the kids waded onto the road to pluck the candy from the puddles and the gutters before they were washed down the storm water drains. As a responsible parent I tried to encourage my children to only harvest candy from the cleaner of the puddles. Some of the local kids had clearly expected this sweet delivery and had large plastic bags with which to transport their bounty; my kids simply collected until their pockets bulged.

It was the town's 120th birthday.

Bedraggled Belly Dancers

Pirates and boat - well planned...........

Anyway back to the parade. Horses and riders, bands on truck trays, giant chickens, elderly people on chairs on the back of trucks waving as if this parade could be their last, clowns, marching bands with little or no talent. Some of the paraders were unexpected. For example; Could this be considered truly Canadian; a troupe of Belly Dancers, jewelry jiggling moving methodically through the heavy rain?

The kids at the Firemen's Pancake Breakfast - Tom, Millie, Kyle and Cody

All in all though it was a small town triumph and it seemed to me that there were more people in the parade than there are people who live in the town. And far more again watching it. Truly a mathematical miracle worthy of a 120th birthday party. And practically all of these particpants had the red and white theme happening with T shirts proudly proclaiming their patriotism. 

kids collecting candy

As the parade ended the rain stopped. Many weather conversations actually had something to say today.

The final ‘event’ was a joint meal with the extended Davidson Clan; with the Crosses supplying spare ribs –perhaps not an authentic Canadian repast – but a North American one at least. And they were good.

Queens cutting the Canada Cake.

The day ended with an impressive fireworks display over the lake. Cooool.