Minister Glover Unveils Canada Day Activities in the National Capital Region

GATINEAU, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - June 1, 2015) - Department of Canadian Heritage

The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages unveiled details of Canada Day festivities in the Capital, the theme of which will be "Strong. Proud. Free." Activities will highlight the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Sir John A. Macdonald, the 50^th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada, the Year of Sport in Canada, and the Franklin Expedition.

This year, the Government of Canada will invite all Canadians to participate in the Canada Day celebrations by sharing what "Strong. Proud. Free." means to them on Twitter and Facebook. Send us your tweets, stories, pictures and more!

Morning Program on the East Lawn (from 9 a.m.)

In the morning, visitors will be able to attend the traditional flag-raising ceremony at 9 a.m., the Changing of the Guard at 9:30 a.m., and the Peace Tower Carillon concert at 10 a.m.

Canada Day Noon Show (Noon to 1:30 p.m.)

The Canada Day Noon Show, from noon to 1:30 p.m., will include speeches from dignitaries, a flypast of Vintage Wings-honouring the 75^th anniversary of the Battle of Britain-CF-18 fighter jets, and the Snowbirds Demonstration Team. The show will also feature outstanding talent from across Canada:

• Magic!
• Marc Dupré
• Gord Bamford
• Jonas and the Massive Attraction
• Francesco Yates
• Andee
• The Jerry Cans
• The Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts
• Cassidy Mann, singing the Royal Anthem and the National Anthem

The show will be broadcast live on CBC, CBC News Network, Ici Radio-Canada TV/Radio, RDI and CPAC.

Afternoon Program on the East and West Lawns (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

East Lawn: Swing dancing, high-energy acrobatic performances and bilingual dance workshops from Ottawa's Swing Dynamite Dance School.

West Lawn: A Flock of Flyers-an innovative dance troupe-is choreographed down to the millimeter. The Flyers have paraded their hilarious manoeuvres before audiences around the world.

Both lawns: The Ottawa Stilt Union Colour Guard Clowns celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Canadian Flag. #flag50.

Canada Day Evening Show (from 7:30 p.m.)

The Canada Day Evening Show starts at 7:30 p.m. and ends with fireworks at around 10 p.m. With the exception of Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts and The Jerry Cans, all artists from the noon show will perform in the evening show, along with Karim Ouellet and another artist who will be revealed soon.

A one-hour edition of the evening show will be televised on CBC and Ici Radio-Canada with special programs on ARTV and Espace Musique. The show will also be broadcast live in its entirety on CBC Radio 2, CBC.ca and radio-canada.ca.

Canadian Heritage is proud to organize the Canada Day celebrations in Canada's Capital Region with the support of national sponsor Chicken Farmers of Canada; official sponsors Manulife, HBC and President's Choice; other sponsors and more than 500 volunteers, whose help and dedication are invaluable.

Quick Facts

- July 1 activities in Canada's Capital Region take place at three official sites: Parliament Hill and Major's Hill Park in Ottawa, and at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau.

- On average, the Canada Day sites in Ottawa-Gatineau welcome 350,000 individuals, a third of whom are tourists.

- The festivities at Major's Hill Park and Jacques-Cartier Park will feature a variety of cultural performances, displays and exhibits, as well as games, physical activities and fun for families The programming will highlight the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Sir John A. Macdonald, the 50^th anniversary of the National Flag of Canada, the Year of Sport in Canada, and the Franklin Expedition.

- Canada Day activities take place throughout the National Capital Region. All day long, there will be free events for revellers of all ages at most of the area's national museums and institutions.

Quotes

"Canada Day is a unique opportunity to showcase the cultural wealth of our country, our values, our aspirations and our achievements. Let's take advantage of the years leading up to the 150^th anniversary of Confederation to further our knowledge of Canada's history and all the people who have shaped our society and made it strong, proud and free."

-The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

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