THUNDER BAY — The City of Thunder Bay will organize no large, in-person Canada Day event this year.
It says this is due to COVID-19 restrictions, and also out of respect for Indigenous communities grieving in the wake of the discovery of the graves of 215 children at a former British Columbia residential school.
In lieu of normal celebrations, the city is offering a variety of self-guided activities for residents to participate in virtually between July 1 and July 4.
The programming includes science experiments, art projects, scavenger hunts and other activities.
Take-home kits will be provided with the supplies needed for each activity, and will be accompanied by a video that will be available as of July 1.
In order to get an activity kit, participants must register no later than June 26.
The city has partnered with Tourism Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Museum, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, le Club culturel francophone de Thunder Bay, and Fort William Historical Park.
"Canada Day presents us with an excellent opportunity to reflect on the past, present and future of this country, and realize that when we work together we can accomplish outstanding feats that change the world, just as the Indigenous peoples, Canadiens and Europeans of Fort William did over 200 years ago," said Patrick Morash, acting general manager of the park.
In order to register, participants will need to create an account or log in to an existing account.
Once logged in, registration can be found under Special Events.
Each kit will require registration in order to receive one.
All kits will then be available for pickup on June 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Baggage Building Arts Centre at Marina Park, the Kinsmen Youth Centre, or Dease Park.
A schedule of programming and more information is available online at www.thunderbay.ca/canadaday
Registration for activity kits is available online at www.thunderbay.ca/register
This year's Canada Day activities are presented by Ontario Power Generation, and funded by the federal government.
