Get the best seat in town as Canada Day 2020 goes virtual. It’s been a strange year and although normal celebrations on the hill aren’t possible, celebrations will continue in a new socially distanced and safe format that can be enjoyed at home. Expect the same entertainment you’ve come to love in a new virtual format. From coast to coast to coast, Canadians will come together to celebrate our wonderful country virtually. Learn about Canada Day classics and then scroll to the bottom for special activities for 2020. Here are some ideas on how to celebrate and free entertainment you can’t miss this year for Canada Day 2020:
Get Started With A Celebration Kit
To make celebrating even easier, enjoy this free celebration kit to fuel your day full of interactive, creative and fun ideas.
June 29th Celebrations:
Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect starting June 29th.
- Let’s Cook Together! — A unifying and colourful culinary challenge.
- Let’s Get Active Together! — A fun sporting challenge.
- Let’s Innovate Together! — Canadian ingenuity at its best.
- Let’s Discover Together! — Hidden treasures of digital Canada.
- Let’s Celebrate Together! — A celebration worthy of our country.
Get details to tune into these celebrations here.
July 1st Celebrations:
Sing The National Anthem
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the National Anthem. Start your day by singing along with the NAC Orchestra.
Canadian Themed Food
Have a day filled with Canadian-themed foods and specialties. Listen to these Canadian tunes while you’re cooking. Here are some ideas for the day:
Breakfast
Enjoy a classic Canadian meal from Flapjacks Canadian Diner or some Montreal-style bagels from Kettlemans. Add some Kinsip Maple Syrup from Maker House to your celebrations. It’s aged in a whisky barrel so it takes on some of the flavour but there’s no alcohol content.
Lunch
Try some recipes from this Métis cookbook including Bannock.
Dinner
Have a BBQ with this super burger featuring chips and cheese curds. Pair it with some ketchup chips or homemade poutine. Pair it with some drinks from Kichesippi Beer. Lots of their brews are an ode to Ottawa. They’ll be open on Canada Day for pick up.
Having a BBQ? Local shop Pot & Pantry has all the accessories and flavour add-ons to take your food to the next level.
Dessert
Did you know without the cold we wouldn’t have apples and maple syrup? Celebrate them with some Sweet Treats. These Canada Fruit Popsicles are sure to cool you down. Pair it with this Maritimes Blueberry Cobbler made with Atlantic blueberries or Strawberry Shortcake made with Ontario Strawberries.
Get more ideas for Canada Day 2020 food here.
Canadian Decor
Get decked out in red and white and decorate your place too. Learn how to easily paint a maple leaf on your face here. Get crafty and make your own decor with this craft guide from the Canadian History Museum. Learn how to make Canadian-themed garland, a wand and shaker. Snap a photo and share it with me online, I’d love to see your Canada Day spirit.
Add fun things to add to your party from local shops like Maker House Co. From pillows, prints and blankets, all their items are made by Canadian Makers. You’ll want to display them in your house all year long.
Need a Canada Day outfit? Head to local shop Roadtrip!
Entertainment
Day Show
July 1st from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m .local time (2 p.m. Atlantic time)
Discover talented artists from across the country. Celebrate our country’s cultural diversity, sporting excellence, Indigenous culture and languages, and the resilience of front-line workers. A nod to the 40th anniversary of the national anthem “O Canada” and many surprises await you. Get the full line-up here.
Evening Show
July 1st from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Atlantic time)
Tune in for some wonderful entertainment from Canadian musicians for the Canada Day Together evening show. You’ll have the best seat in town right from your home. Grab some drinks and nibbles and get ready for some incredible Canadian talent like Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, The Sheepdogs and more. The full line-up can be found here.
Here’s How To Watch on July 1st:
- CBC Television (broadcast in English)
- From 8 to 10 pm local time
- From 8:30 to 10:30 pm Newfoundland time
- Ici Radio-Canada Télé (broadcast in French)
- From 8 to 10 pm local time
- From 9 to 11 pm Atlantic time
- CBC Gem
- From 8 to 10 pm (ET)
- Canadian Heritage Facebook
- From 8 to 10 pm (ET)
- Canadian Heritage YouTube
- From 8 to 10 pm (ET)
- Missed the live broadcast or streaming?
- Watch anytime on Canadian Heritage’s Facebook and YouTube accounts.
Virtual Fireworks
Wherever you are in Canada, enjoy Canada Day fireworks in a fun and innovative way. There’s a 3D augmented reality experience you can tune into on your mobile device, at 10 p.m. local time. There’s also a video highlighting some of the best Canada Day fireworks from past years, to watch anytime on your computer.
Tune in details are here.
Special Ways To Celebrate for Canada Day 2020
Get Creative
From special colouring pages, creating a scrapbook, fun dances and more, check out these free activities to help with your creativity this Canada Day.
How Well Do You Know Canada?
Here are a few fun ways to test your knowledge of Canada.
Canadian Themed Scavenger Hunt
Head for a walk and see how many of these classic Canadian symbols you can spot. Challenge who you’re with and who can spot them first. Is there anything you would add to the list?
Matching Game
Can you match photos to their province and territory? Make it even more challenging by guessing their exact location. How many can you get?
How Well Do You Know The Canadian Flag?
Test your knowledge with this quiz. It will ask you questions on the flags history, design and more.
Learn About Canada’s Past
It’s important to recognize Canada’s past and learn about Indigenous cultures. Turtle Island is what some Indigenous people call the continent of North America. Take a tour of Turtle Island to discover some interesting facts about First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures.
There are 3 groups of Indigenous people in Canada: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Indigenous languages are made up of several language families that you can learn about here.
Create Special Memories
Create a Time Capsule
How cool would it be to create a time capsule of memories up to this year that you can find again at a future date. With these instructions from the Canadian History Museum, you’ll learn how to build a durable time capsule, what to include and a map to find it at a later date. Add in polaroids, letters and cool items around your house.
Camp in Your Backyard
The joys of camping with a bathroom nearby and a wifi connection to enjoy this year’s Canada Day entertainment. Learn how to pitch a tent with Parks Canada and pair it with some homemade s’mores made with Hummingbird Chocolate in the middle.
Train Like Team Canada
Start your day with a workout. Take a look at how some of Team Canada trains at home. You can also complete your own workouts that were created by the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Experience firsthand the intense training by some of Canada’s toughest Para athletes. Choose from 5 different workouts.
Go On A Photo Walk
Go on a photo walk with your phone or camera and capture some shots inspired by the Group of Seven. This guide will take you through some of their most famous paintings and how to recreate them as a photo. These photos would be a great addition to your time capsule.
Discover More About Canada
Take a virtual tour of Parliament. Step inside the doors of Parliament online or in 360° video.
Turtle Island is what some Indigenous people call the continent of North America. Take a tour of Turtle Island to discover some interesting facts about First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures.
Canada Day Around the World
Embassies and consulates around the world will also be having special virtual celebrations. From Peru to Morocco to Australia and more, embassies will have lots of different virtual celebrations. Check them out here.
Here’s to another incredible Canada Day. This post was created in partnership with Canadian Heritage. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Happy Canada Day everyone 🙂
Julia started Little Miss Ottawa as a way to explore her hometown as a traveller would. She’s always planning her next adventure, whether it’s local or abroad. You’ll find her exploring with her camera in hand. She hopes Little Miss Ottawa helps bring you on new and fun adventures. Happy exploring :)
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