Town of Kingsville celebrates Canada Day virtually

Members of Music Moves Kids, led by Director Erin Armstrong, sing “O Canada” for Kingsville’s virtual Canada Day.

by Garrett Fodor

As COVID-19 and social distancing measures are still in place, the Town of Kingsville found a new way to celebrate the nation’s birthday last Wednesday, while still bringing people together.

  Kingsville was still one of the two municipalities left in phase one of the COVID-19 pandemic reopening plan, as of last week, but that did not dampen their spirits or celebrations for Canada’s 153rd birthday.

  While residents were not able to gather in typical fashion to watch performances, sing O Canada, and enjoy cupcakes and fireworks, residents did their best to keep the tradition going by switching to hosting the festivities virtually. 

  In order to make the shift to digital, the Town of Kingsville received the Canada Day grant, allowing for the festivities to go virtual, for no added cost.

  “While we knew it would not resemble any of our traditional family and local fun activities at the recreation centre, we still wanted to bring about the feel of community participation and attempt to have the public contribute their own messages and images of Canadian pride,” Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos said.

  “While we couldn’t set this up from one central location as per usual, we reached out to our community and found 19 very willing partners to help us distribute cupcakes from their businesses. It proved to be very well received and enhanced our focus on supporting local during the pandemic,” he added.

  Leading up to Canada Day last Wednesday, residents were treated to digital performances by entertainers Mighty Mike, Bex in Motion, and the Fire Guy, which began on June 29 on the Kingsville Parks and Rec’s social media pages.

Residents enjoyed a virtual fireworks display from the comfort and safety of their own home.

  Santos was impressed with how supportive the residents and businesses were of the celebration.

   Santos said he is glad the town and residents were able to celebrate Canada’s birthday safely, while continuing with their traditions, even in these unique times. He is optimistic going forward. 

  “I would like to acknowledge the collaborative effort and community spirit shown here in Kingsville,” Santos said. “From our residents and businesses, to the regional support offered to include our town in promotions, this helped us celebrate in this unique year. Many hands truly came together to applaud our nation, all the while remaining socially distant.”