Since its inception Canada has been very much a multicultural country.
This Canada Day in Williams Lake, one of the afternoon activities in Boitanio Park will celebrate our multicultural nature.
Sharon Taylor, co-ordinator of the Welcoming Communities BC project, will oversee a community art project which showcases diversity within our community.
Everyone can participate by painting a Canada Day message on fabric in different languages, resulting in a display of the many cultures that make up the Cariboo.
Two groups will be hosting the Canada Day celebrations this Monday. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on July 1 the BIA is hosting the events.
There will be performances by the Williams Lake Pipe band, IRA Hayes band, Samira Bellydancers, and the bands Bootleg and HAB.
The morning events also include a bouncy castle, bubbles, face painting, various vendors and the Nathan Matthews Memorial Skateboard Competition.
Starting at 2 p.m. and running to 4 p.m. there will be more music, bouncy castle and face painting for children, plus a great big sweet Canada Day cake donated by Save-On-Foods.
Presented by the City of Williams Lake, Cariboo Regional District and the Central Cariboo Community Arts Council Society, the afternoon events are being co-ordinated by music instructor Angela Sommer.
The afternoon festivities start with a colour party grand entrance led by the Williams Lake Pipe Band and Williams Lake Legion Branch 139 members, Sommer says.
After introductions by master of ceremonies Harry Jennings there will be a blessing and welcome by the Williams Lake Community band and First Nation drummers.
Words of welcome will be delivered by Mayor Kerry Cook, a CRD representative, Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett; Harry Jennings president of the Cariboo Chilcotin Arts and Cultural Society.
Then Taylor will share a few words about the city’s multicultural project and later oversee the Canada Day community art project.
Quintet Plus will lead in the singing of O Canada at 2:30 p.m. followed by the cake cutting with help from the Stampede Royalty, Army Cadets, political representatives and staff from Save-On-Foods which has donated the huge community cake for the event for many years.
While the cake is being cut Quintet Plus will sing the Williams Lake Stampede song, Banquet Fugue, and Green Sleeves.
From 2:40 to 4 p.m. there will be face painting for the children along with a multi-cultural activity.
The Williams Lake Trio Willow will sing a selection of songs starting at 3:10 p.m. followed by performances by the Williams Lake Community Band at 3:30 p.m. The event will wrap up with a thank-you at 3:55 p.m.
Canada Day is a day to celebrate our heritage which is why organizers are encouraging people to “wear your red and white and leave your blues at home” and head on down to Boitanio Park Monday.