Billed as “Canada’s biggest little birthday party,” with about 80,000 Canada Day revellers the Steveston Salmon Festival really was a big bash.
The theme of this year’s festival, one of the country’s longest-running and largest Canada Day celebrations, was the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The three Olympic Mascots paid a special visit, and attendees had a chance to meet some of Canada’s Olympic speed skating hopefuls, get free giveaways, and win a VIP prize package for opening night festivities.
The day began with a pancake breakfast followed by the Children’s Bike Parade. Starting at 10 am, the Canada Day Parade featured a Games-themed float accompanied by large walking contingents from the Richmond Olympic Oval along with Richmond’s various “2010 community partners.”
Several past and current Olympic athletes also took part, including Olympic silver medallist and current world champion Canadian speed skater Christine Nesbitt and Richmond’s Olympic snowboarder Alexa Loo.
“All the volunteers in the community centre have done a wonderful job. Nice parade too—lots of very different cultural representations,” said attendee Eveleen Fowler, adding that the RCMP contingent in the parade “kind of makes me proud to be a Canadian.”
In a “a salute to 2010” in the festival’s trade show area, several Canadian national team speed skating athletes were on hand to meet the public and sign autographs, and some pretty happy people had a chance to have their picture taken with past Olympic torches. Official 2010 Games merchandise was for sale at The Bay’s Olympic booth.
“We’ve come here every year since we moved here four years ago and we love it,” said Sharylin Boshaw, who attended the festival with her husband, Robert.
The couple lives near the Olympic Oval and Ms. Boshaw said it’s “awesome” that the Olympics are coming to the city. “I think it’s a really good thing for putting us on the map.”
The festival also featured all its usual favourites including the ever-popular salmon bake, live entertainment with dance and musical acts, a carnival, cultural displays, trade and craft shows, belt sander drag races, and activities for children. A new addition this year was a variety of inflatable slides and bouncers at the carnival.
Among the feature attractions were a Japanese cultural show, an ethnic food fair, and a youth rock fest featuring local youth bands and a skate board competition. This year, the headlining group on the main stage was Tillers Folly, who played a combination of Irish Celtic, bluegrass, and folk.
Additional reporting by Sandy Wu
The theme of this year’s festival, one of the country’s longest-running and largest Canada Day celebrations, was the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The three Olympic Mascots paid a special visit, and attendees had a chance to meet some of Canada’s Olympic speed skating hopefuls, get free giveaways, and win a VIP prize package for opening night festivities.
The day began with a pancake breakfast followed by the Children’s Bike Parade. Starting at 10 am, the Canada Day Parade featured a Games-themed float accompanied by large walking contingents from the Richmond Olympic Oval along with Richmond’s various “2010 community partners.”
Several past and current Olympic athletes also took part, including Olympic silver medallist and current world champion Canadian speed skater Christine Nesbitt and Richmond’s Olympic snowboarder Alexa Loo.
“All the volunteers in the community centre have done a wonderful job. Nice parade too—lots of very different cultural representations,” said attendee Eveleen Fowler, adding that the RCMP contingent in the parade “kind of makes me proud to be a Canadian.”
In a “a salute to 2010” in the festival’s trade show area, several Canadian national team speed skating athletes were on hand to meet the public and sign autographs, and some pretty happy people had a chance to have their picture taken with past Olympic torches. Official 2010 Games merchandise was for sale at The Bay’s Olympic booth.
“We’ve come here every year since we moved here four years ago and we love it,” said Sharylin Boshaw, who attended the festival with her husband, Robert.
The couple lives near the Olympic Oval and Ms. Boshaw said it’s “awesome” that the Olympics are coming to the city. “I think it’s a really good thing for putting us on the map.”
The festival also featured all its usual favourites including the ever-popular salmon bake, live entertainment with dance and musical acts, a carnival, cultural displays, trade and craft shows, belt sander drag races, and activities for children. A new addition this year was a variety of inflatable slides and bouncers at the carnival.
Among the feature attractions were a Japanese cultural show, an ethnic food fair, and a youth rock fest featuring local youth bands and a skate board competition. This year, the headlining group on the main stage was Tillers Folly, who played a combination of Irish Celtic, bluegrass, and folk.
Additional reporting by Sandy Wu
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