7.03.2011

Oh, Canada

Flaming Dragon
So patriotic
Last night we went with my step-mom to celebrate Canada Day and see fireworks. Because it gets dark so late at this time of year, we were loath to drive an hour to the Forks to go to their all out celebration and see fireworks launched over the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The show is really spectacular, but it is only dark enough at about 11 pm to launch fireworks and we knew that Theo would be a raging ball of angst by that time. Add a crowd and large exploding noises and who knows what kind of scene he would make. We decided instead to see the fireworks in Steinbach, which is only about 5 minutes from our house. They gave out Canada themed cupcakes (which Theo only ate the icing off of),  glow sticks, temporary tattoos, and flags.

William and I waiting for the show to start
The fireworks were not any where near as crazy and fantastic as the celebrations for King Sihanouk's birthday in Cambodia, but seeing as probably 80% of the fireworks they used are almost certainly illegal in Canada, I think Steinbach did well enough. It was a great opportunity to try out the fireworks setting on our camera. I was pretty disappointed at the pictures it took of the fireworks, but I am generally disappointed in all the photos our camera takes, so I wasn't too surprised. It ended up being a great choice going to Steinbach, since it was much more family friendly (i.e. no drunks wandering around shouting obscenities like in Winnipeg), there was a huge amount of green space for Theo to run in, and a fairly small crowd. This is the first time that we have done anything for Canada Day since we have had kids and I am glad, especially for Theo's sake, that we got to experience it one last time before leaving.

Dustin and Theo enjoying the explosions
I am not sure that we will have the time or energy to do anything for the 4th of July, but if we get ambitious we might shoot of a few fireworks in our back yard. According to my Aunt Hue, Canada Day is just Canada's 4th of July, celebrated on the 1st of July due to the early harvest. So if we go by her theory, we won't need to bother doing anything on Monday since we have already celebrated.

1 comment:

Carol said...

My theory is that Victoria Day is Canada's Martin Luther King Day. We celebrate civil rights because people from every country Victoria was Empress of may now immigrate to other Commonwealth countries. But later on in the spring, because Canada is too cold for those people. Makes sense, eh?