Page 29 - Real Style Summer 2017

What it means to
be Canadian means di erent things to di erent people. Some look to our country’s prowess in hockey as a source of national pride.
Some view our country’s artistic history, from the Group of Seven painters to authors Margaret Atwood and Lawrence Hill, and musicians like Céline Dion and Justin Bieber, as a symbol of our rich heritage. While others point to the long line of great actors and actresses such
as Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Rachel McAdams, Tatiana Maslany and William Shatner as a reason our country is great. Whatever your reason, 2017 is the year to celebrate everything Canada, and here are some unique activities planned all across the country to help you do so.
The RCMP MusiCal Ride
What is more Canadian than the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? is year, between May and October, the RCMP Musical Ride is touring the country. A full troop of 32 riders and their horses will put on a show that consists of gures and drills by the mounted troops choreographed to music. e touring group will visit 50 communities across Canada to help raise money for charities and non-pro t organizations.
NaTioNal aboRigiNal day
June 21st not only marks the rst day of summer, but it’s also National Aboriginal Day in Canada. It’s a day to celebrate
the unique heritage and diverse cultures of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada
that include the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. All across the country you can take part in festivals, barbecues, sacred re extinguishing and ag ceremonies, traditional feasts and more, all intended to celebrate Canada’s Aboriginals.
CaNada day CelebRaTioNs
Of course everyone’s celebrations will be focused on Canada Day on July 1st. Festivities are scheduled across the country, including a full weekend of events in the nation’s capital. Concerts and reworks will honour the day,
and of course if you are in Toronto that day, you won’t want to miss the annual Canada Day Blue Jays game as the team faces o against their division rivals, e Boston Red Sox, wearing their special red jerseys.
The dRuM is RolliNg
Vancouver is putting on a nine-day
arts and crafts festival from July 22nd
to July 30th called e Drum Is Rolling. e event will take place in downtown Vancouver’s Larwill Park, and will focus on Indigenous themes to acknowledge the city’s location on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Canadian music icon Bu y Sainte-Marie is set to perform on the opening day, and one of the main attractions will be
a life-size village of Aboriginal housing structures from di erent First Nations.
la MaChiNe
From July 27th to July 30th, astonishing creatures will be invading the nation’s capital. For the rst time in North America, France’s La Machine will take to the streets to showcase their unique urban theatre productions. e group
is known for creating unbelievable, large-scale machines that take the shape of dragons, giant spiders and other creatures, the likes of which you’ve never seen before. e event will be free, and can be seen all across downtown Ottawa.
The bReaThiNg hole
Starting on July 30th and running until September 22nd, the Stratford Festival
is putting on e Breathing Hole, a
play created by Colleen Murphy and commissioned speci cally with Canada’s 150th anniversary in mind. e story begins with an Inuit widow named Aga who has a vision of the future some 500
years away, and a polar bear she adopts. e bear lives throughout the next 500 years, encountering other humans, including the doomed passengers of
a 21st century Arctic cruise ship Aga saw in her vision. e play not only tells a compelling story that runs through Canada’s history, but is also a commentary on the climate change crisis our world is facing.
Q&a with Dan aykroyd
What makes you proud to be a Canadian?
Dan Aykroyd: I am a proud Canadian because my country has deep currents of acceptance and tolerance for the diversity of humankind which have blended into a populace that realizes collectively that they are fortunate enough to live in the world’s greatest nation.
How do you plan on celebrating Canada’s 150th Anniversary?
DA: I will be toasting with Crystal Head Vodka at my dockside in Ontario.
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PhotoS, Left: iStock, Right: dan aykRoyd