City of Toronto marks Canada Day on July 1

The City of Toronto offers a robust line-up of free programming for Canada Day, providing residents numerous ways to celebrate across Toronto, including signature annual fireworks displays at Centennial Park, Milliken Park, Stan Wadlow Park, and Ashbridges Bay Park. Daytime activities will occur at Nathan Phillips Square, Mel Lastman Square, Fort York National Historic Site, and Thomson Memorial Park. Admission is free for all City-produced Canada Day events.

Residents will have many options to choose from, including:

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrations at Thomson Memorial Park (1005 Brimley Rd.). This event includes music, children’s crafts, a bouncy castle, a parade, a pancake breakfast and more.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. catch Moving Forward: Celebrating Chinese Communities at Fort York (250 Fort York Blvd.). Vibrant Chinese communities with programming co-created with community partners on the centennial of the Chinese Immigration Act. Programming will include dancing, singing, remarks, face painting, food demos and tastings, storytelling and more.

From noon to 6 p.m. there are celebrations at Nathan Phillips Square (100 Queen St. W). Toronto’s diverse communities with high-energy performances from Alpha Rhythm Roots, The Hitmen Drumline, Celtic duo Alana and Leigh Cline, family-friendly programming with Muse Arts and Picasso Painters, “The Giant Storybook” activity from the Department of Imaginary Affairs and more.

Annual Canada Day celebrations will return to Mel Lastman Square (5100 Yonge St.) with live performances from The Haneen Woman Choir, Trash Panda Brass, JER, Celtic duo Alana and Leah Cline and family-friendly activities showcasing newcomer artists.

At 10 p.m. the annual Canada Day fireworks display will take place in the following City parks: Ashbridges Bay Park (1561 Lake Shore Blvd. E) and Centennial Park Etobicoke (256 Centennial Park Rd.), and Stan Wadlow Park (373 Cedarvale Ave.).

The City acknowledges that July 1 is not a day of celebration for everyone, particularly First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. The City encourages everyone to take time this Canada Day to learn about Canada’s history and relationship with Indigenous communities and consider how each person can help advance truth, justice, and reconciliation. The City remains committed to advancing truth, justice, and reconciliation. It works closely with Indigenous partners and the Indigenous Affairs Office to implement the City’s first Reconciliation Action Plan.

The City continues to consider how residents experience Canada Day across Toronto so that it can deliver and invest in more diverse and inclusive activities.