150 ways to celebrate Canada 150: #1 - 30

Ruth Abernethy's statue of Sir John A. Macdonald is seen wearing a Kitchener Rangers sweater in an Erin, Ont., foundry before moving to Kitchener on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015. (Max Wark / CTV Kitchener)

All week long, CTV Kitchener is taking a look at events and activities happening in our area for the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Today’s list features a heavy dose of Canada-150 themed festivities happening before July 1.

1) Each day this week, a giant Canadian flag will be painted one step closer to completion at Lower Queen’s Parkland in Stratford, near the Festival Theatre.

2) If you find yourself near Fergus Monday night, you can stop by Confederation Park between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. for free, family-friendly environmental workshops.

3) Tuesday night, Victoria Park in Elora plays host to a family-friendly celebration of Canada’s indigenous peoples from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

4) You can stop by the Rockwood Library any time this week for a drop-in session on creating Canada Day crafts.

5) The work of one of Canada’s most prolific painters is on display in Kitchener, at the Homer Watson House and Gallery. The gallery is currently showing the exhibit A Sense of Place, which features a look at Canadian landscapes.

6) A new Canadian musical is touring across the country, and it stops in Waterloo on Wednesday. A free performance of The Dream Catchers will take place at University Stadium at Wilfrid Laurier University.

7) Wellington County’s Countdown to Canada 150 hits Belwood Wednesday night, as Maple Park hosts a free event looking at some of the events that have shaped the country.

8) Canada’s past will be commemorated in a special way Thursday night at Castle Kilbride in Baden, as sculptures of former prime ministers William Lyon Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson are unveiled. Eventually, statues of all former prime ministers will be placed at the site. Thursday’s event runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and features live music.

9) You’ll have a chance to learn about some of Canada’s most prominent inventors and inventions Thursday night, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Community Park in Elora.

10) How about heading to Tavistock for a Canada 150-themed dance? The free party gets underway at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, with the Country Versatiles Band providing the tunes. The annual Southwestern Ontario Fiddle and Stepdance Competition then runs through the weekend.

11) Roberta Bondar is famous for her work as an astronaut – but it’s her work as an artist that’s being celebrated in Woodstock. The Woodstock Art Gallery is displaying some of Bondar’s photography until the end of the month.

12) The Canada 150 celebrations in Grand Valley kick off Friday morning, with a Victoria tea party at the library (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.). Friday night, the party moves to Hereward Women’s Institute Park for a 7 p.m. rededication ceremony, followed by a walking tour of the St. Albans Cemetery at 8:30 p.m.

13) If you’re in the mood for music, The Lifers are playing a free concert at St. George’s Square in Guelph over the noon hour on Friday. It’s part of a weekly lunchtime concert series.

14) The last Friday of the month means a Final Friday celebration in Waterloo, with art, culture, food and more from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. at the Waterloo Public Square.

15) Most of this week’s festivities are focused around Canada 150, but Brantford isn’t forgetting about Ontario’s own 150th anniversary. A succession of country artists will take to the stage at Lions Park starting at 6:30 p.m., with Jason McCoy headlining the night. Food vendors, a beer tent and a midway will also be part of the event.

16) Why not spend the night before Canada Day learning one of the most Canadian skills of all – canoeing? Waterloo’s Laurel Creek Park plays host to a Canoeing 101 session on June 30.

17) If you prefer wheels to paddles, another option for Friday night is a car rally in Listowel. Hosted by the Listowel Agricultural Society, the rally gives competing teams a chance to learn about the history of North Perth.

18) While most Canada Day fireworks are held back for Saturday, they’re getting a jump on things one day early in Burford. The Burford Fairgrounds play host to music starting at 8 p.m., with fireworks at dusk.

19) Otterville’s Canada Day festivities also begin Friday, with a bubble soccer tournament, a dance and more. Events continue all weekend long, with highlights including fireworks Saturday night and a rubber duck race Sunday afternoon.

20) Canada 150 is also a multi-day affair in Mitchell, where celebrations kick off Friday night with a parade, live entertainment, fireworks and more. You can find a full schedule for the weekend here.

21) While all that happens in and around Keterson Park, Mitchell will also be playing host to a Canada Day dance Friday night at the Crystal Palace, featuring live music from the John Heaman band.

22) Over in Paris, a series of Friday night movies in Lions Park kicks off with a showing of Sing at dusk.

23) For those who would prefer to see The Secret Life of Pets, that film is playing at Shade’s Mills Park in Cambridge, starting at 9 p.m.

24) Knox United Church in Clifford is sponsoring a fish fry dinner, which runs from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Clifford Community Hall.

25) If you like the sound of fish, but Friday night doesn’t work for you, Canada Day fish fries are annual events in Oakland. This year’s event gets underway at 3 p.m., and also includes family activities like a duck race.

26) Got a bit of time on your hands? Why not devise your own Canada 150-themed scavenger hunt? Search for a maple leaf, something named after a prime minister, and other bits of Canadiana.

27) Canada’s global village is the focus of a Countdown to Canada 150 event at Victoria Park in Fergus, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

28) If you take a drive around your neighbourhood, you might notice some red and white tulips in bloom. Home Hardware sold the bulbs last fall as a Canada 150 tie-in campaign. Of course, some of them aren’t quite the colours their buyers were expecting.

29) After several months of construction, Stratford’s Market Square has reopened with a host of new amenities. The official grand reopening is part of Saturday’s Canada Day event, but there’s nothing stopping anyone from taking a seat on what of its benches right now – as long as it isn’t occupied!

30) A more Scottish-style celebration is taking place in Embro, where the Embro Highland Games have been timed to coincide with Canada 150. The gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday for a full day of family-friendly activities.