MANITOULIN—Canada Day, Saturday, July 1, marks the official start of the busy summer season on Manitoulin. Start scheduling your fun-filled weekend using the handy community by community list below!
Assiginack
The Township of Assiginack is inviting you for Canada Day food, cardboard boat races and a waterslide for kids, all on the Manitowaning waterfront!
Come for a barbecue hosted by the fire department at noon followed by the cardboard boat races! Boat races will start around 12:30 pm. Head to assiginack.ca for full cardboard boat race rules.
Gore Bay
Lyons Memorial United Church is hosting a Canada Day rummage sale on Friday, June 30 from 9 am to 1 pm and Saturday, July 1 from 9 am to 12 noon. Proceeds will go toward funding a new firefighter suit for the fire department.
The Town of Gore Bay Canada Day parade gets underway at 11 am. Dress up your ATVs, golf carts, bicycles, pets and anything else you can think of! Kids’ games will take place outside the Legion at noon. Fireworks, fire ban permitting, are on the agenda.
Ice Lake
The Ice Lake potluck picnic is back for Canada Day at the picnic grounds, 274 Pleasant Valley Road at 12 pm sharp. Kids’ games, bazaar and auction, concession booth, pickup ball game and a potluck lunch. Please bring your own plates and cutlery. Rain date is Sunday, July 2.
Kagawong
St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Kagawong is having a Canada Day yard sale and barbecue from 10 am to 2 pm.
Little Current
The Little Current Business Improvement Area (BIA) and The Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands is inviting you to the Canada Day Summer Fair in downtown Little Current Saturday. There will be a special edition Farmers’ Market starting at 10 am, a pedestrian mall on Water Street (which will be closed to traffic) from 10 am to 4 pm featuring vendors, crafters, artisans and more, live music at Cenotaph Park with the Wiky 3 Johnny Cash Tribute band from noon until 2 pm, a kids’ bike decorating contest (don’t forget to bring your bike!) outside of Breakaway Sports and Cycle followed by a bike parade at 12:30 pm, bouncy inflatables from 10 am to 3 pm and facepainting from 11 am to 3 pm. There will also be a junk in the trunk sale at the NEMI rec centre parking lot from 9 am until 1 pm and a community barbecue, yard sale and bake sale at the Manitoulin Centennial Manor from 11 am to 1:30 pm. The Manor yard sale begins at 8 am in the gazebo.
And don’t forget to join in the singing of O Canada, in English and Ojibwe, with the talented Katie Harper then tuck into some delicious Canada Day cupcakes at noon (in front of the post office).
Mindemoya
It’s the Central Manitoulin Lions Club Homecoming Weekend and Manitoulin Ribfest in Mindemoya! The Canada Day weekend fun gets underway on Thursday, June 29 with DJ’d music at the Lions Pavilion at 4 pm and at 8 pm, Elijah and the Backburners take the stage.
There’s more music in store Friday, June 30 with the Kassie Taylor Duo from 1 to 3 pm, Tristen Hall at 5 pm, Mike Trudell Band at 6:30 pm and Elijah and the Backburners again at 10 pm. Between sets, from 8 to 9:30 pm, The Tickle Your Ribs Comedy Trio of Charlie Adam, Michael Hamilton and Phil Rawlson will have you in stitches at the Lions Pavilion.
Kids should keep their eyes open for a special guest appearance by Elsa from ‘Frozen’ between 4 and 5 pm.
The J.H. Burt Memorial Arena will be hopping Friday and Saturday with the Central Manitoulin Market, boasting over 60 vendors selling handmade and direct sales. The market is open 2 to 6 pm on Friday and 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday.
Trinity United Church is having an indoor yard and bake sale from 9 am to 1 pm.
The Lions’ famed Canada Day parade will make its way through the Mindemoya streets Saturday beginning at 11 am.
The fun continues at the Lions Pavilion and ball fields at noon with bouncy castles, kids’ games and prizes, Hot Wheels races at 1 pm and an ice cream eating contest at 2:30 pm. The Mindy Indy soap box derby at 3 pm on Duke Street.
Who will be crowned the ribmaster? Find out Saturday afternoon when the amateur rib cookoff kicks off at noon with judging at 6 pm.
The music continues Saturday with the Silver Peak Band at noon, the locally rejuvenated Studebaker Props at 4 pm, The Hip Experience Tragically Hip Tribute band at 8 pm and the famed Homecoming Weekend dance at the Mindemoya Hall from 10 pm to 1 am.
On Sunday, July 2, the Mindemoya Classic Run Paddle, Pedal Triathlon makes its triumphant return to Homecoming at 8 am, brought to you by Breakaway Sports and Cycle.
There’s more music to be had Sunday with Tristen Hall and Barry Hamilton from 11 am to 1 pm, Robbie Shawana at 1:30 pm and George C. Williamson will close the show at 3 pm.
Manitoulin Ribfest, of course, will happen all weekend long with professional ribbers Go Gonzalez BBQ, Brickyard BBQ, BubbaLou’s Bar-B-Q and Made in America BBQ on hand with their delicious offerings! There will also be a host of other tasty delights on hand at Ribfest, so bring your appetite. These four barbecue artists will be competing for the Manitoulin Ribfest Crown with judging and awards at 1 pm on Sunday.
A 50/50 raffle will be held all weekend long with daily prizes drawn and don’t forget your tickets for the $2,500 Lions Backyard BBQ Ultimate Dream Package sponsored by Jake’s Home Centre. The draw for this amazing prize will happen Sunday at 4 pm.
Providence Bay
Canada Day fun can be found at the Discovery Centre located at the Providence Bay Beach Saturday. There will be children’s games from 2 to 4 pm, facepainting from 4 to 6 pm, cake and lemonade from 5 to 7 pm and fireworks at dusk. (Fireworks will be set from a barge, which is permitted during a fire ban.)
Sheguiandah First Nation
It’s Sheguiandah First Nation powwow weekend! The annual jiingtamok (powwow), held annually near the shore of Sheguiandah Bay, has the theme of ‘honouring past, present and future jiingtamok.’
Saturday’s grand entries will be 1 and 7 pm and Sunday at 12:30 pm and will feature head dancers Jason and Pam Solomon and head elders Jerry and Linda Kaboni. Master of ceremonies is Greg ‘The Goose’ Sutherland. Weekend specials will include men’s traditional, vendors,’ tiny tot, old style, memorial and drummers.’
Silver Water
The Silver Water Canada Day parade, with the theme of ‘under the sea,’ gets underway at 11 am Saturday with the community picnic to follow.
South Baymouth
The Little Schoolhouse and Museum, Tehkummah Fire Department and South Baymouth Community Development Association are hosting a number of fun events on Canada Day including the famous fireman’s yard sale starting at 8 am, the museum bake sale from 10 am to 1 pm, a silent auction from 10 am to 2 pm, a barbecue from 11 am to 1 pm, a parade at 1:30 pm, a fish fry at John Budd Park at 5 pm and, pending the fire ban status, fireworks at 10 pm.
Happy Canada Day!
