Sarah McLachlan, Blue Rodeo among stars enlisted to celebrate Canada Day
The federal department says homegrown stars will anchor an evening bash July 1 meant to celebrate national unity, pride and sovereignty.
Most events will be broadcast across the country from Ottawa, with more performers beamed in from other regions: Blue Rodeo in Summerside, P.E.I.; Crook the Kid and Brenda Montana in Yellowknife; and Alex Wells and Dear Rouge in Vancouver.
The evening party also includes Tom Cochrane, Mitsou, Amanda Marshall, Roch Voisine, Randy Bachman and TALK.
The flag-waving begins with a noon ceremony including Amanda Marshall, Garou and Thompson Egbo-Egbo.
Both shows will be broadcast live on various CBC platforms including the main network, CBC News Network, CBC Gem, CBC Radio and the CBC News YouTube channel.
Weekly
A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene.
'The July 1 festivities will allow us to celebrate our unity and express our national pride, while affirming our sovereignty, our identity and our culture,' the Department of Canadian Heritage said Thursday in a release.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2025.
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Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Camera, canoe, connection
Born on July 1 — Canada Day — 38 years ago in southwestern Poland, filmmaker Patryk Szmidt's finding a creative home in Canada almost feels destined. Six years ago, guided by the immigration program and a determination to shape his own path, Szmidt and his partner Natalia, a graphic designer, chose Winnipeg to put down roots and build something meaningful. 'Being a filmmaker, it's going to be easier for me to stay here along with my partner,' he says. Patryk Szmidt at the Kicker Films office in St. Boniface; he named the company for the word's implication of momentum. 'I did my research before immigrating and found out that Winnipeg has a decent filmmaking community. We're going to try and get our path here the easy way — connect with other filmmakers and start to build my own production company here.' That company became Kicker Films, located at 354 Marion St. 'Kicker is a cool word, between kicking the ball and making things move along,' Szmidt explains over coffee in stoneware mugs on the table, Polish chocolates and biscuits nearby. His functional, airy office leads down a hallway to an equipment-stocked back room where the magic of editing happens. 'In my style, I try to find something between cool and visual, with important messages for people.' His roots in visual storytelling reach back to school days in Poland — first through music production, then photography and eventually filmmaking. After studying journalism and communications at the University of Wrocław, he began blending those skills into a career — starting with music videos, then commercial work, documentaries and freelancing. When he arrived in Canada, he hit the ground running: 'It was a big learning curve to establish myself here, but I've done a lot of commercials in Winnipeg. We're a production company. But the goal is to eventually just make documentary films.' In 2023, he fulfilled a part of that goal by producing, directing and filming Paddling Paradise, a documentary series for Bell TV and Fibe TV1. The project follows three experienced paddlers — Charles Burchill, Harald Weigeldt, and Brian Hydesmith — as they navigate the remote backcountry of Manitoba by canoe. The heart of the film is the Mantario Wilderness Cabin, located about 150 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg on an island in Mantario Lake, straddling the Manitoba-Ontario border. The cabin, owned by the Province of Manitoba but leased and operated by Nature Manitoba, is nestled in the Mantario Wilderness Zone on the eastern edge of Whiteshell Provincial Park — on Treaty 3 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe Nations and the homeland of the Métis Nation. No motorized traffic is allowed. As Burchill puts it, 'The cottage is a very isolated and unique experience for people because of its distinct status.' A retired botanist with the University of Manitoba, Burchill has long been drawn to this wilderness. He recalls how Szmidt instantly connected with the landscape: 'The trip, landscape and environment provided a vision that he wanted to share through film. Although I wasn't able to return with Patryk, Harald and Brian to the Mantario area, Patryk found time for us to travel back to the Canadian Shield, and he was able to integrate that trip into the film.' Burchill appreciated Szmidt's light-handed directing style. 'He provided excellent direction, but not too much, so we could put a personal stamp on what we said and did,' he says. Hydesmith, a graphic designer and lifelong canoeist, introduced Szmidt to the area the year before production began. 'He came up with the story and worked on it,' he said via a recent phone call, while waiting in his car to board a BC Ferries boat to Bowen Island. 'The first trip for actual filming, neither Charles nor Harald could go, so my wife, Liz, and I paddled Patryk out there. He shot in every bit of light he had.' That shoot had a moment of misadventure — Szmidt's drone lost power and sank into Mantario Lake. 'We rushed out in the canoe, but all we found were bubbles,' Hydesmith recalls. Undeterred, he and Weigeldt returned with Szmidt the following week to reshoot what was lost — and capture more. For Weigeldt, the project held personal meaning. A dream to build his own canoe had begun in the 1980s, after discovering Canoecraft by Ted Moores. Four decades later, that dream was realized — and Paddling Paradise became an unexpected part of the journey. 'After retirement, I was finally able to fulfil that dream,' Weigeldt says in an email. 'The canoe became a means of exploring the natural world around us. But it was also a vehicle for building relationships with like-minded people.' Paddling Paradise follows three experienced paddlers as they canoe in Manitoba. The film allowed that spirit of connection to ripple outward. 'The project became a way to share the canoe experience with a wider audience,' he adds. Being featured in the film wasn't effortless: 'It was a challenge to be the subject. I'm quite happy not being in the limelight.' Yet in the hands of Szmidt's quiet camera, vulnerability became strength. Despite the solitude of the setting, Paddling Paradise feels anything but spare. Szmidt handled every aspect of the film himself: drone work, sound, editing, camera operation and directing. 'I've been on movie sets with large teams and specialized roles,' says Hydesmith. 'Patryk did everything on his own. His shots are quiet, graceful — nothing feels rushed. There's a real artfulness to his work that reflects the experience of Mantario itself.' For Szmidt, portraying the vastness of nature was essential. 'The drone really helped show the size of the environment,' he says. 'You see how small we are in it — and how connected we can be to it.' And for all involved, the film captures a shared reverence for the quiet power of simplicity and wild places. Burchill praises the documentary as a 'representation of the spirit and passion we each hold for paddling and the Mantario area.' Szmidt echoes that sentiment. 'The great thing in Canada is how people spend their free time outside,' he says. 'In Poland, camping isn't a big part of the culture — we would go to small spots outside town or to the Baltic Sea. But here, the national and provincial parks make it easy. That's what I love about being here.' Having arrived without grand expectations — 'I just go with the flow and see how things turn out' — Szmidt has found steady ground, artistic purpose and a country that aligns beautifully with his values. 'Canada is blessed to have young creative talents like Patryk and Natalia as immigrants,' says Hydesmith. 'They are the type of people who help make Canada a great place. They enrich the fabric of our country.' Paddling Paradise is not only a window into Manitoba's wilderness — it's a portrait of a filmmaker whose lens is guided by curiosity, humility and a deep appreciation for the stories that live in the land. The Paddling Paradise series can be viewed on Fibe TV1 or streamed through the Bell TV app, where Szmidt's vision brings the wilderness to life. arts@ Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
'Iconic part of Vancouver': Poll shows 'overwhelming' support to keep Celebration of Light fireworks
A new poll shows that the Honda Celebration of Light is a public event that Vancouverites feel connected to, appreciate and want to see illuminate the night skies year after year. 'The poll shows that this event is an iconic part of Vancouver. When you look at how people rank it relative to other annual celebrations, like Canada Day at Canada Place, the PNE and the Sun Run, it's in the top two or three. It's a very well-regarded event,' said Steve Mossop, executive vice-president of Leger, the market research group that conducted the poll. The findings show very strong support for keeping the annual three-night event. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'It's one of the last fun things that the city does, and it's a free event,' said Mossop. 'It's something everybody looks forward to.' The Leger Metro Vancouver Omnibus study, conducted among 504 Metro Vancouver residents between Aug. 1-4, shows widespread support for the Honda Celebration of Light. Nearly all Metro Vancouver residents (97 per cent) are familiar with the festival, and over three quarters (77 per cent) say they have attended the event. 'The findings show there is strong support for keeping it alive and funding it at different levels, private sponsors or ticket sales, whether it's cordoned-off or VIP sections,' said Mossop. According to the poll, 73 per cent of respondents say the Honda Celebration of Light festival is important to Metro Vancouver's identity and culture, and local economy. If the festival were to be cancelled due to decreased funding, nearly four-in-five Metro Vancouver residents say this would have a negative impact on both Metro Vancouver's identity and culture (77 per cent), and its local economy (79 per cent). 'Even in this era of increased taxes, we see an overwhelming amount of support for increased public funding from all sources. The support for this is universal. You don't often see that,' said Mossop. 'We have the label of the no-fun city,' said Mossop, who is a longtime attendee. 'The cancellation of the folk festival, the fireworks at Canada Place at New Year's, the Dragonboat festival is temporarily cancelled. There is this aura in Vancouver that we can't afford to do anything fun. How is this happening to our city?' According to the poll, 74 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents support government funding for the festival. Support is highest for private sponsors to increase their funding (66 per cent), but one-third of Metro Vancouver residents note that various government bodies, including the federal, provincial and municipal (City of Vancouver and the Metro Vancouver Regional District) governments, should increase their funding for the festival (33-40 per cent), or it should stay the same (40-45 per cent). Organizers of the Honda Celebration of Light said in July that soaring costs and the loss of public and private funding have pushed Vancouver's summer fireworks extravaganza to the brink. Provincial support for the fireworks festival is set to drop from $250,000 to $100,000 next year, while federal funding fell from $450,000 in 2023 to $250,000 last year and has been cut entirely for 2026, according to producer Paul Runnels. More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of Metro Vancouver residents note that it is unfair that events on the West Coast, like the Honda Celebration of Light, receive less federal funding when compared to other events across the country. For example, the Calgary Stampede receives $10-12 million, Montreal Pride and Festival International de Jazz de Montréal each get $1.5 million, and $3.5 million goes to the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. The annual Celebration of Light draws more than 1.5 million visitors and generates $40 million in economic activity for B.C., primarily through tourism and hospitality spending. dryan@ — With Vancouver Sun Files
Edmonton Journal
7 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Lilith Fair documentary heads to CBC
Article content A documentary about the groundbreaking music festival Lilith Fair will air this fall on CBC. Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery will go behind the scenes of the women-focused event co-founded by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan in the late 1990s. Article content Directed by Ally Pankiw, the documentary will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before airing on CBC and CBC Gem on Sept. 17. (It'll stream on Disney+ outside of Canada.) Article content Article content 'I'm so filled with pride and nostalgia watching this film,' said McLachlan in a statement. 'Ally and the team have beautifully captured the magic and strength of a community of women who came together and lifted each other up to create positive change in the world.' Article content Original Lilith Fair artists who'll appear in the film include Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Indigo Girls and Emmylou Harris. Singers from the new generation of female artists, such as Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo, will also sit down for a chat. Article content Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery is produced by Not A Real Production Company — which was founded by Schitt's Creek co-creator Dan Levy — as well as Elevation Pictures for ABC News Studios. Article content Article content 'Lilith Fair holds a very special place in my heart,' Levy said in a statement. 'It was one of the first spaces where I remember feeling at home. The music, the sense of community, and the power of a group of women proving an entire industry wrong was a tremendous thing to experience.' Article content The festival initially launched in the summer of 1997, and it returned for the following two summers — raising more than $10 million for charity. It was revived the summer of 2010. Article content McLachlan has won 12 Juno Awards and three Grammy Awards, and her best-known songs include Angel, Building a Mystery, Adia and I Will Remember You. She will release the album Better Broken, her first studio album of new music in more than a decade, on Sept. 19. The Halifax-born singer will also tour Canada this fall.
