Canada Day at Kelso Beach to Feature Live Music, Family Activities & Fireworks
Owen Sound’s Canada Day festivities will take place July 1 at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park, with live music, family programming, and fireworks planned throughout the day.
Final preparations are underway for Owen Sound’s annual Canada Day celebration at Kelso Beach at Nawash Park, with the City confirming a full schedule of entertainment, food, and family activities throughout the day on Tuesday, July 1.
The event is free to attend and open to the public, with gates opening at 10 a.m. Programming will continue into the evening, culminating in a fireworks display over Owen Sound Harbour at 10 p.m.
This year’s celebration includes a wide array of daytime attractions: over 60 local vendors, more than 15 food trucks, live entertainment, and a dedicated Lego Family Fun Zone.
Other activities will include dog shows, pony rides, canoe tours, and interactive games. Emergency vehicles will also be on site for public viewing.
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The evening segment will begin at 7 p.m. with a performance by local musician Gracie Jet, followed by official remarks from municipal representatives.
A feature concert, titled Rock of Fame: A Tribute to Canadian Music, will headline the night. The performance brings together regional musicians including Drew Wright, Tara and Trevor Mackenzie, Jon Zaslow, John Hume, Drew McIvor, Mike Weir, Jaret Koop, and Holly Sled.
Spectators are reminded that a safety perimeter of 175 metres will be enforced around the harbour pier during the fireworks display. Boaters and onlookers are advised to respect this restriction.
While the event will proceed rain or shine, officials note that certain water-based attractions may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Kelso Beach at Nawash Park is also a designated smoke-free and vape-free location.
Residents can also view the fireworks from the Community Waterfront Heritage Centre and west harbour wall, inner harbour streets, or the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre parking lot and shoreline.
The City of Owen Sound has emphasized the role of volunteers in making the celebration possible and continues to recruit individuals to assist with various event-day responsibilities. More than 100 volunteers are typically required to support the annual event.
Canada Day has been observed as a national celebration since 1868, with cities across the country hosting festivities to commemorate Canadian history, identity, and community.
Editor’s Note: It’s important to remember the following, which we first published last year:
As many celebrate Canada Day, it’s also important to acknowledge the Territory of the Anishinabek Nation: The People of the Three Fires known as Ojibway, Odawa, and Pottawatomie Nations. We further give thanks to the Chippewas of Saugeen, and the Chippewas of Nawash, known collectively as the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, as the traditional keepers of this land.
We recognize and acknowledge the harm done to First Nations people by colonization and the government of Canada, and that this is not a time of celebration for all.
Over 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families to attend residential schools, where they were given new names, converted to Christianity against their will, and forbidden from speaking their native languages. This is not ancient history; the last of these schools closed in the 1990s.
This is not the only harm done, but one egregious example of it. First Nations people in Canada are disproportionately affected by our prison, policing, and child welfare systems, as well as violence of all kinds, even today.
As we collectively contemplate what it means to be Canadian this holiday, let’s take a balanced and thoughtful look, both back and ahead. This is a time not only for celebration but for acknowledging our many opportunities to do and be better.
Further information and event updates are available through the City’s official Canada Day webpage at owensound.ca/canadaday or on the Tourism, Events, and Attractions Facebook page.
