Canada Day 2020

#CanadaDayInBarrie

Barrie celebrated Canada Day together at home! We united virtually with fellow Canadians from coast to coast to coast and shared our national pride.

2020 virtual Canada Day celebration wins Achievement Award ​

In 2020, both the City of Barrie’s Canada Day and Family New Year’s Eve Countdown celebrations were reinvented to keep the community connected and engaged while providing an opportunity for residents to celebrate safely from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.​ Both celebrations won a 2021 Achievement Award​​ from Festivals & Events Ontario. The success of these virtual events was possible with support from our community partners, sponsors, funders, local media, and all those who participated virtually. Learn more in the Memorandum to Council​. 

Canada Day Engagement Hub

In addition to joining with others to watch scheduled virtual programming on the City's social media channels, viewers could interact with other Barrie residents on our Canada Day Engagement Hub to take Canadian-themed quick polls and share with others what makes you proud to be Canadian.

Canada Day Trivia

How much do you know about Barrie and Canada? Test your knowledge and search a map for answers with our Canada Day Trivia & Seek game!

Programming Schedule

10am	Family Fun The livestream aired on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or the City's Canada Day Engagement Hub for a range of activities for all ages and abilities, showcasing Canadian culture and diversity. Full Entertainment Lineup Storyime with the Barrie Public Library The Community Reading Champions share their passion for reading with their favourite books that spark the imagination of kids of all ages. Join Mayor Lehman as he reads Up the Creek. Canadian Wildlife with Speaking of Wildlife​ Meet an opossum, snapping turtle, and wolves while learning about all of the summer fun the animals are having at this local wildlife sanctuary, a favourite at Barrie events. Hoop dance with Nimkii Osawamick The Canadian Science Show with Science North Join Science North as they take us through exciting demos that will put a spark in Canada Day - from how fireworks get their colours to bubbly chemical reactions. Interactive Dance Break with Simcoe Contemporary Dancers Join Chrissy for a dance break and together we'll learn a fun choreographed dance! No experience required and fun for all ages. Crafts with Art Wonderfull Create a Canada flag or Canada Day fan with Jenny - you will need white and red paper, scissors, double-sided tape or glue, popsicle sticks, string, salt, masking tape, red food colouring, water, paint brush, and some creativity. Balloon animals with Clarabella Buskers​ FireGuy & Bella Magic Performances by Ontario Musicians Cooperative Inc. artists And more!
1pm	National Daytime Show: Canada Day Across the Country Canada Day Across the Country shows how Canadians were celebrating from coast to coast and celebrate our country's cultural diversity, sporting excellence, Indigenous culture and languages, and the resilience of frontline workers.
4​pm	Canada Day Campfire Sessions The live stream aired on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or the City's Canada Day Engagement Hub to watch local artists performing originals and Canadian favourites — perfect for enjoying around the campfire.​ Headlined by Jason McCoy and The Washboard Union, and featuring many more talented artists! Full Entertainment Lineup Jason McCoy Jason McCoy is a 25 year veteran of the country music industry, front man of The Road Hammers, winner of several CCMAs and a Juno Award, and hometown boy having grown up in Minesing. If you recognize his voice, he is also co-host on the Pure Country 106 morning show. And now he'll grace our virtual Canada Day stage! The Washboard Union The Washboard Union share an innate love for the art of songwriting and storytelling that has resonated with audiences from North America to Europe. Certified gold in Canada, the band has several Top 10 hits and has won several CCMAs, as well as a Juno Award. They care deeply about their fans and engages with them at ever opportunity - including virtually on Canada Day! Jesse Labelle Jesse meshes modern country music with classic country lyricism and high energy guitar playing to delivery an unforgettable performance whenever he hits the stage. J​oëlle Roy - Singer-songwriter from Lafontaine, J​oëlle has four albums under belt. Her sound is folk with a blues, country, and Cajun twist. Damian Spaulding​ - Premiering Set Us Free, Damian is the visionary behind The Spaulding School of the Arts and is now catching up to his first passion by releasing works that have been sitting in archive and is preparing new music to release in the future. Artists of Ontario Musicians Cooperative Inc. Artists of Theatre by the Bay including: Alyssa Bartholomew, Ava Petliar, Alinka Angelova, Valeria Bravo, Madison Mueller, Alyssa Tess, Olivia Cameron, David Whyne, Joshua Doerkson, Rhiannon Hoover, and Tkaia Green And more!
​7pm	Oh Canada In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Canada's national anthem, Canadians were invited to decorate your lawn or house, dress up in red & white, and head outside at 7pm to join together in singing Oh Canada! Residents were invited to take photos and video, and post to social media using #OhCanada and #CanadaDayInBarrie, and listen along during our virtual show or tune in to one of our radio partners (Rock 95, 107.5 Kool FM​, Pure 106, and 104.1 The Dock​) at 7pm.
​8pm	National Evening Show: Canada Day Together Canada Day Together is a unique edition of Canada's annual iconic celebration featuring original artist collaborations between performers from coast to coast ending in a finale featuring a montage of Canada Day fireworks from years past.
​9:30pm	​Virtual Fireworks Enjoy fireworks safely from home! Residents could download the free Snapd HUB app​ and tune in for a spectacular fireworks display with countdown led by Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield!
Times listed were tentative and may have changed.

 

Canada Day 2020 Is Generously Supported By

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