A year of hard volunteering is about to come to fruition for Chris Glassford and the Chatham Canada 150 committee.
The crew is busy putting together last-minute details, but Glassford is confident Canada’s 150th birthday party in Chatham will be one to remember.
After all, it’s a three-day event, and comes on the heels of a fizzled party last year.
A year ago, nothing was planned until the last minute for Chatham when Chatham-Kent Essex MP Dave Van Kesteren’s office hastily pulled something together for the Chatham Cultural Centre.
Historians Doug Robinson and Gwen Robinson performed historical vignettes on the Skirmish at the Forks and the Black contribution to the community. Van Kesteren and family handed out cupcakes.
About 400 people took part in the event.
But this year, combined with family-friendly parties by the Active Lifestyle Centre and the churches of Chatham, it appears the party will go from fizzle to sizzle.
It all starts Friday at 5 p.m. at the ALC. Linda Lucas, executive director of the ALC, said the gathering will feature international cuisine and a host of family-friendly activities.
Fifteen different food providers will put on spreads for the multicultural culinary element of the event, she said. This will take place inside the ALC.
There will also be entertainment inside and out, she added. On the river, there will be family events, such as 13-hole mini golf – representing a hole for each province and territory in our country – as well as crafts, balloon animals, face painting, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn and games. All of it is free for the children.
There will also be music on the river. Crystal Gage and Ryan St. Denis will entertain near the water.
And the party will wrap up in time for folks to head to St. Clair College, the site of the fireworks, sponsored by Greenfield Specialty Alcohols.
Glassford said he loves how the ALC has worked with the Canada 150 committee to make June 30 a great party day for the family.
“It’s interesting that we’ve teamed up with the Active Lifestyle Centre, and their pre-event prior to the fireworks,” he said.
The fireworks will light up the sky over the athletic fields at the college at dusk. There is parking at the college, but Glassford said the committee has organized transit services from three parts of Chatham to bring families to the park – from Erickson and Memorial arenas and from the Thames Street parking lot nestled beside the Third Street Bridge.
“Free parking and free transit,” he said. “We’re just asking for donations to help offset the costs.”
As for the timing of the fireworks, Glassford said previously that the company putting on the fireworks, after two years of having Chatham back out at the last minute of hosting the showcase, handed the July 1 slot to another community.
“And we have our full day on July 1. This offers the opportunity for people to check out fireworks events in other communities,” Glassford said.
For families who love fireworks, the fact that Chatham has them a day early works well, as Blenheim, Clearville, Erieau, and Wallaceburg will have them on July 1.
Ridgetown actually starts off lighting up the night sky June 29 as part of that community’s Canada 150 celebrations.
Tilbury is also having fireworks June 30.
Furthermore, Canada 150 celebrations organized by the churches of Chatham-Kent, take place at Evangel Community Church July 2, along with a variety of family-oriented activities.
In terms of July 1 festivities in Chatham, Glassford said the parade will begin marshaling along Sandys Street between Grand and McNaughton avenues early, as it should begin by 9:30 a.m.
He said there are more than 60 entries, including several bands.
The parade will travel south on Lacroix Street, east on King Street, through the downtown, and north on William Street to Tecumseh Park, the site of all the entertainment for the day.
“We’re hoping to have everyone in the park by 11 a.m.,” Glassford said. “That’s when we’re kicking off everything.”
The opening ceremonies will be followed by the traditional serving of the massive Canada Day cake, and then Brooklyn Roebuck will kick off the day’s music.
Glassford said three stages will provide entertainment for people of all ages, and the music runs until 11 p.m.
“There’s lots of local music. The main stage is packed until 11 p.m.,” he said. “The cultural stage will feature various local performers. We have a whole entertainment schedule just for culture. It’s definitely going to be one of those days to remember.”
The southern section of Tecumseh Park will be filled with kids’ activities, including face painting, bouncy castles and family activities organized by a variety of local groups, Glassford said.
“There is a lot of fun stuff for kids of all ages. It’s definitely for the family,” he said. “And we’re definitely trying to keep it heritage and culture related.”
While there is plenty for people to do in the park, there’s also plenty of work for volunteers to do behind the scenes. Glassford said the more, the merrier.
“We’re always looking for more volunteer assistance. There are tons helping out, however, and it’s nice to see the community stepping up,” he said.
Over the course of the day, people are encouraged to enter a draw, sponsored by Via Rail, that will send two people to the nation’s capital. The draw takes place at 10 p.m. on July 1.
Work for Glassford began after he learned last year there would once again be no fireworks celebration for Chatham, that the parade was a no go, as were festivities in Tecumseh Park.
Glassford said he reserved Tecumseh Park for July 1, 2017, began hunting for like-minded individuals, and soon thereafter formed the current Chatham Canada Day committee.
