History, culture and fun on Canada Day in the city

Yellowknife residents and visitors celebrated together on July 1^st to help celebrate the creation of the country.

The day’s events began at 11am, with the annual Canada Day Parade making its way from the Aquatic Centre and down Franklin Avenue, all while the sidewalks were filled to the brim with excited crowds.

Dozens of emergency vehicles, recreational vehicles, and even typical cars and trucks traveled down the street, each decorated with Canadian flags, balloons, and keeping with the theme for this year, depictions of many of the different animals that call the NWT home.

Stewart Pallard, the Parade Committee Chair with the City of Yellowknife, said that this year’s parade was one of the largest events in terms of attendees, as well as in regards to the gathered audience. He estimated that this year saw as many as thirty different organizations and groups signed up to be a part of the parade.

Pallard shared his thoughts on what Canada Day means to him.

“Well you know, Canada has been good to me, and good to the north, and that’s something that unifies us all together. Canada may not be perfect, but as long as we work together, we’ll aim for the stars and keep hitting the moon!”

Pallard also felt that Yellowknife’s parade was a strong representation of the city’s culture. He expressed pride in the fact that there were so many different groups involved, from Indigenous groups to those who came from outside Canada and now call the country their home.

The parade was just the beginning of the day’s happenings. At noon, the crowd was invited to come down to Somba K’e Civic Plaza for a whole afternoon of entertainment. Vendors had set up tables to sell food, works of art, and unique northern crafts and jewelry.

This opportunity was greatly appreciated by local artist Robyn Scott, who was able to set up a booth of her own.

“I’m so grateful to the City of Yellowknife for creating a space like this for local artists. Not only do I get to see everybody in town, but everybody gets to be introduced to my artwork. It’s a very positive and happy and supportive environment, and I’m really glad to be here!”

Scott also shared her own feelings on Canada Day’s importance.

“For me, it’s all about community. It’s about recognizing that Canada is diverse. It is something to be celebrated when it’s done well, so I’m really glad to see so many faces here today in a really positive environment.”

Visitors to the park were also treated to a number of special performances, such as live music, dancing, and fashion showcases.

To make this year’s holiday even more special, Yellowknife was chosen by Heritage Canada as one of the only three cities in the country to take part in the National Canada Day Evening Broadcast. As part of this broadcast, the City chose two of the biggest names in Northern Indigenous music to step up to perform, those being Brenda Montana, and Dylan Jones, better known as Crook the Kid. The two worked together on a special musical performance that was made specifically for the event.