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Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Canada Day celebrations in the U.S. take on a deeper meaning this year
On Canada Day, the Canadian community in Los Angeles will gather to celebrate at an art deco bar in Hollywood. A DJ will spin Cancon classics and the menu will feature poutine, Caesars and Moosehead. Unlike in past years, however, there will be no cover charge or photographer, in a bid to encourage as much attendance as possible. It will be a chance, organizers hope, for Canadian expats to commiserate after an often-stressful six months. 'It's about pulling everyone together and keeping everyone unified,' said Erin Buckley Burnett, president of Canadians Abroad of Southern California. 'We just want everyone to come to a safe place and talk and have a good time.' For many of the estimated 800,000 Canadians living across the U.S., the holiday has taken on added meaning with the return of Donald Trump to the White House. There are worries over visa renewals amid the horror stories of people with valid work permits getting thrown into immigration detention. There is the trade war. And there are Mr. Trump's '51st state' annexation threats. 'It definitely felt more important to do it this year and get Canadians together to, for lack of a better term, unify ourselves,' said Marty Seed, who organized his 19th Canada Fest in Atlanta last weekend. The event, held at a brewery, drew about 300 people with live music, kids street hockey and a poutine truck. New Brunswick Celtic folk-rockers Jason Martell and Corey MacDonald got the children up onstage to dance. 'I'd never seen so many families and kids attend. It was a great turnout. It was a great, fun day,' Mr. Seed said. Toronto-based Big Sugar had been scheduled to perform, he said, but the band had to pull out after his drummer couldn't get his U.S. performers visa processed on time. A computer programmer who lived in Halifax, Toronto and Ottawa before moving to the U.S. in 2000, Mr. Seed's prominence in the local expat network has meant he's received a lot of ribbing in recent months about his country being annexed. 'The humour didn't last too long for me, personally. It's like, okay, now you're being disrespectful,' he said. But the Americans he spoke to at Canada Fest took the opposite tack. 'They jokingly said, 'We apologize for how our president has been treating you.'' Within his circles, he has been advising people eligible for U.S. citizenship to apply for it, to have the best chance at avoiding immigration problems. One man Mr. Seed plays hockey with, for instance, has lived in the U.S. for 30 years but has chosen to remain on a green card. Even before Canada Day, the tidal wave of patriotism back home was washing across the border. When the Canadian Association of New York held an election-watch party in April – piping in a CBC feed – the venue was packed until after midnight, said Reena Bhatt, the group's vice-president. The event was at Terroir, a Tribeca wine bar owned by Toronto native Paul Grieco. Ms. Bhatt, a lawyer originally from Ottawa who has lived in the U.S.'s largest city for 25 years, said she believes Mr. Carney is 'the right person for this time,' given his level-headed demeanour and economic experience running Canada's and Britain's central banks. 'Are people experiencing the patriotism? I would say yes. I always have been. I feel very patriotic, and I am even prouder to be Canadian today given who's leading our country,' she said. The group is expecting its Canada Day party, at a bar overlooking the Hudson River in Manhattan, to sell out, as it does every year. The most official celebration in the U.S. will be that at the Canadian embassy in Washington on Tuesday. The host, Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, is leading Canada's talks with the Trump administration for a bilateral economic and security agreement. Arguably the most prominently located diplomatic outpost in the city, the embassy sits on Pennsylvania Avenue with sweeping views of the Capitol. The evening celebration will unfold on the building's front terrace, bringing a display of Canadian patriotism to the main street of U.S. political power. On top of these larger events put together by the Canadian government and sundry expat groups, Canadians across the U.S. will be marking the day with more casual celebrations. In Anchorage, Alaska, local Canadians will gather at a lake this Saturday to share food, play games and go canoeing. In Dallas, they will mark the occasion on Sunday with a DJ at an outdoor swimming pool. World Bank employees in Washington are planning a happy hour for Wednesday. They are all examples of the coming-together that Ms. Buckley Burnett is seeing in SoCal. Many expats feel uncomfortable talking about the situation in person but have reached out to her for phone chats. Others have joined protests in recent weeks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. A former political staffer at the Ontario provincial legislature, Ms. Buckley Burnett moved to the U.S. in 2014 with her American husband. She's settled in Santa Monica, Calif., where she works in the non-profit sector. The diversity in her adoptive city means that the Americans she knows have been supportive of their immigrant and expat neighbours. 'The overall sentiment here is that we're lucky we're in California, because everyone has been so welcoming and made us feel at home,' she said. 'In fact, they've been talking about opportunities to move to Canada.'
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
What's up: Canada Day, Countryfest, Public Domain, art of bonsai, @&% Canada Day
All across the city, Canada Day parties will celebrate the country's 158th birthday with food, fun and, in many cases, fireworks. CHRIS GAREAU / THE CARILLON FILES Winnipeggers can see fireworks at several locations on Tuesday. CHRIS GAREAU / THE CARILLON FILES Winnipeggers can see fireworks at several locations on Tuesday. Transcona BIZ is presenting a two-part Canada Day festival. In the afternoon (1-5 p.m.) check out the Canada Day Market at Transcona Centennial Square (135 Regent Ave. W.), featuring local makers such as BB Tallow Skincare Co., Urban Tails, Shrugging Doctor Beverage Co. and Bet Toba. There will be face painting, games and balloon animals for the kids and, while supplies last, free hot dogs. At 9:30 p.m., the gates will open at Buhler Recreation Park (135 Murdoch Rd.) for the fireworks — bring your blanket or lawn chair and enjoy. Similarly, in south Winnipeg, the River Park South Community Association is presenting a two-part Canada Day celebration of its own. Festivities kick off at Burland Park (150 Burland Ave.) from 4 to 8:30 p.m., with balloon artists, face painting, a craft market, live music and food trucks (including Wagyu Wagon, Engocha Ethiopian Food and the Big Dawg Smokies). The party moves to Highbury Park (99 Highbury Rd.) after dark for the fireworks, which kick off around 11 p.m. near the retention pond. Those living in north Winnipeg can start celebrating Canada Day early at Canada Fest at the Tyndall Park Community Centre (2255 King Edward St.) Sunday and Monday from 4 to 9 p.m. and from 3 to 11 p.m. on Canada Day proper. The event will feature food trucks and stalls at the Food Park (including Kyu Grill, Lobster Bae and Popoy's Golden Chicken), live spray paint art, free zumba classes, prizes and fireworks on Canada Day after dark. In the west end of the city, Assiniboine Park's Summer Entertainment Series continues with a range of Canada Day activities taking place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entertainment on the Lyric Stage includes Mama Cutsworth, Zrada and Neighbour Andy, while food trucks, a bouncy castle and pop-up patio will be set up in the Lyric Field. The outdoor garden at The Leaf will host a citizenship ceremony, salsa dance lessons, fire and tobacco teachings. (For those desperate to catch some fireworks in west Winnipeg, Assiniboia Downs will be lighting up the sky with pyrotechnics after dark.) — Ben Sigurdson Chantelle Dione photo Opaskwayak Cree Nation's Desiree Dorion performs at Countryfest this weekend. Chantelle Dione photo Opaskwayak Cree Nation's Desiree Dorion performs at Countryfest this weekend. Giddy up, country fans — Countryfest is here. Perhaps counter-intuitively, Canada's longest-running country music festival kicks off tonight with … a rock show. The Rockin' Thursday Kick Off Party will be headlined by Vancouver rock band Default, as well as a few bands-as-bands, including Winnipeg's the Haileys as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Dauphin's own Kates Outlaw as the Tragically Hip. Canadian singer-songwriter Josh Ross is the Friday-night headliner and American performer Jordan Davis takes top billing Saturday night, both supported by a genre-spanning list of acts — including, on Friday night, singer-songwriter Desiree Dorion who, fun fact, grew up about two kilometres from the grounds of Countryfest. And for those who like their country a little more old school, John Michael Montgomery, Mark Chesnutt and Lonestar are all among the mainstage performers on Sunday. The festival also offers a host of activities, including line dancing, axe throwing and, because it's Dauphin, a perogy-eating contest. Tickets — including weekend passes and camping passes — and the full lineup are available at — Jen Zoratti ALLEN E. MEADOR PHOTO Lady of the Red performs tonight ALLEN E. MEADOR PHOTO Lady of the Red performs tonight Located next door to the former Good Will Social Club, Public Domain is gaining momentum a few months ahead of its one-year anniversary, with its events schedule filling up quickly on its newly launched On Tuesdays, the bar/pizzeria/smashburger headquarters/concert venue hosts its weekly chess club, with a DJ spinning tunes. On Wednesdays, the sign-up list for karaoke is calling. And tonight, there's good music on tap for only $10. Kris Rendina and the Woke Mob headline, with Monday Morning Quarterback (Kieran Bjornson) and Lady of the Red — the updated moniker for local songwriter Larysa Musick — opening. — Ben Waldman SUPPLIED The Bonsai Society of Winnipeg hosts its biennial exhibit at WAG- Qaumajuq this weekend. SUPPLIED The Bonsai Society of Winnipeg hosts its biennial exhibit at WAG- Qaumajuq this weekend. The Bonsai Society of Winnipeg is back for its biennial exhibit at WAG-Qaumajuq. This year's exhibit of tiny trees marks the 40th anniversary of the society, which consists of more than 100 local bonsai enthusiasts. Miniature trees and landscapes, artfully sculpted by society members, will be displayed throughout the gallery. The showcase opens tonight with a ticketed gala. Guided tours of the exhibition are scheduled to run Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, join bonsai artists Trieu Vo and Denis Girardin for a pair of tree-shaping demonstrations in the Ilipvik centre at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. And on Sunday at 2 p.m., Bonsai Society members will host a presentation about the artform and the nuances of training trees in Manitoba's challenging climate. Visit for more information. — Eva Wasney It wouldn't be a Canada Day party without an anti-Canada Day party. If one were debating Winnipeg's most impactful OG MCs, Nigel Webber's rich Gritty City: An Oral History of Winnipeg Hip-Hop Music 1980-2005 provides ammunition for many sides. But if we're talking after 2005, the question's already settled: Winnipeg's Most. About 15 years ago, the North End rap crew earned tens of millions of streams for its party and thug anthems such as Bang Bang and All That I Know, forging a Prairie hip-hop consciousness that went well beyond the underground. The group — now made up of Charlie Fettah and Jon-C — has been in something like a reunion mode lately, and headline Monday's F@&% Canada Day show at the Exchange Event Centre. Also on the bill are CJ the Grey — a rapper from Cross Lake First Nation who may emerge as this generation's great Prairie boom bapper — Cypha Diaz and Pip Boy. Entry to the show is free before 10:30 p.m. if you RSVP and bring a charitable donation of food or clothing for Main Street Project and Spirit Horse Initiative. Admission is $20 after 10:30 p.m. — Conrad Sweatman
