Canada Day celebrations in Saint John have been underway all week and will culminate in a fireworks show Monday evening on the boardwalk.
Stephany Peterson with the Celebrate Canada committee says the much anticipated show begins as “dusk,” which is intentionally vague to make sure weather doesn’t disappoint.
“These are all outdoor activities, and so that means on the coast, Mother Nature gets to dictate and that fog can roll in very quickly. So we make sure that we don’t set anyone up for disappointment by giving a to-the-second decision,” she said.
She says should the fog roll in, the show will have to be postponed until visibility is clear. All other events go rain or shine.
“If we see that a weather pattern is shifting, then we’ll change the schedule to allow for us to accommodate to set the fireworks off as soon as we can see them, which means dusk,” she explained.
Peterson says a little bit of rain in the forecast hasn’t stopped the show before.
“All things go rain or shine. It’s simply too tumultuous to live on the water front. Safety first of course, but in almost two decades there’s only been twice where entertainment has had to be cancelled because of a weather pattern that’s moved in,” she said.
Peterson explains that while rain may certainly put a damper on things, it’s not what they’re worried about the most.
“It’s fog! You can see fireworks in the rain, you cannot see fireworks in the fog, so it would just be clouds that would have some colour to them, or some loud noises, so it’s the fog that’s really the enemy,” she said.
She says should the fog roll in, the show will have to be postponed until visibility is clear. All other events go rain or shine.
A number of bands will also be playing at the boardwalk stage all weekend long, including local music group Tartan Terrors, Toronto band Beaches and Scott Helman.
What’s open & what’s closed
Canada Day is a statutory holiday in New Brunswick, meaning a number of things will be closed Monday.
Most grocery stores will be closed, but the City Market is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., along with Saint John Night Market vendors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Canada Day July 1st at the Market, we’re open from 9 AM – 4 PM, and we’ve got big plans.
The Mayor is going to hold a trial at the top of the Market re-enacting history. Then the Mayor is going to hand out Canada Day pins, flags and tattoos. pic.twitter.com/phuiulnUvZ— SJ City Market (@sjcitymarket) June 27, 2019
NB Liquor stores also will not be open, but if you forgot to stock up, agency stores will be open. Picaroons General store on Canterbury will also be open.
A number of uptown restaurants will be open too. Post offices, drug stores and banks will all be closed.
City transit will run on a holiday schedule Monday and will be free the entire day. There will be no Comex service.
Garbage and compost pickups will still follow their regular schedule.
Celebrations in Grand Bay-Westfield
The town of Grand Bay-Westfield is holding a number of Canada Day events Monday at the Brundage Point River Centre.
Celebrations kick off at 11 a.m., followed by a barbeque at noon. Events wrap up at 1 p.m.
Non-perishable food items are being accepted for the local food banks and the River Valley Lions are also accepting donations of eyeglasses.
Should there be heavy rain, celebrations will be cancelled except for events that can be held inside the community centre.
