Toronto: Canada Day
Festivities We started the day by heading to Aga Khan Park, where the Rhythms of Canada festival was taking place. We spent time wandering around the park, Rita insisting she get into the water feature to cool off. There were also a few vendor stalls and a food truck. Our favourite part was the performance by the Band of The Royal Regiment of Canada. Opening with Adele’s Rolling In The Deep, a crowd quickly gathered to enjoy their marching routine and musical display, which included more traditional tunes featuring bagpipes and a vocalist.
Next we headed to the Canada Day Festival at Mel Lastman Square. Here we enjoyed Taiko drumming by Nagata Shachu and an enthralling performance by Big Smoke Bass. There were also activities for kids, food vendors and fireworks in the evening, which I kept Rita safely away from!
Walking Tour I thought a walking tour around Toronto was appropriate for the occasion. A few companies I contacted did not permit dogs, so I was pretty happy when I discovered Anubhav’s Best of Toronto Tour. We met at Dundas Square at 4.30pm for our 2 hour tour, which took us through a wide range of neighbourhoods; the Financial district, the Entertainment district, Chinatown and Kensington Market. Anubhav was the most cheerful, personable guide, keeping his “speeches” at each stop informative yet light-hearted. He set the tone to be easy-going and it didn’t take long to feel like we were a group of friends exploring the city together. I now feel like I have a much better grasp of the city and have found my bearings for my future visits to Toronto.
At the New City Hall
Outdoor cinema Part of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival, Canadian comedy Drinkwater (2021) was showing in the outdoor theatre in the Historic Distillery District, kitted out with fairy string lights and greenery. The event included a red carpet area and complimentary coffee from the sponsor, Lavazza. The director and cast members were present on the Friday* (when it was to be moved indoors, hence we exchanged our tickets, but then it ended up continuing outdoors and apparently the audience got soaked!) for a Q&A, but for us the director Stephen S. Campanelli joined via Zoom and actor Bob Frazer were there for a quick chat before the film started. The movie was a perfect choice for Canada Day weekend, with an all-Canadian cast and many typical Canadian references, like Tim Hortons, ice hockey and a rendition of “Oh, Canada”. It was a heartwarming coming-of-age story, with a twist of originality introduced by the jokes and funny anecdotes, complemented by a retro aesthetic.
* Due to the weather, this had to be postponed from Canada Day on Friday to the Sunday night.
Left-hand photo courtesy of Distillery District.
The seating area consisted of comfy inflatable sofas, and we each got headphones to wear for the audio. As it was outdoors, dogs were welcome. Rita stayed snuggled up beside me during the movie and shared my popcorn. One exciting thing happened for us: they chose two ticketholders at random to win a coffee machine (plus lots of coffee!), and I was one of the lucky winners!!
