Event Map:

 For an accessible map with all the details go to: Meaford Canada Day 2023 and click on the stars for more details.

Check out the businesses and restaurants that are open downtown!

Food and Refreshments:

8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: For all you early birds!  A delicious pancake breakfast hosted by the Military Family Resource Centre and the Rotary Club of Meaford, located at the Rotary Pavilion at the Meaford Harbour, complete with coffee, tea and juice. Coffee is generously donated by Tim Hortons.

11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Beer Garden and Grill Zone hosted by the Rotary Club of Meaford. They’ll have sausages, hot dogs, and burgers on the grill and for the adults, cold beer in the beer garden.

11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Beer Garden hosted by the Kinsmen Club of Meaford. Join us at the pavilion for refreshments and fun! 

11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Jake’s Grab n’ Go will be there with delicious lunch options of Caesar wraps, pulled pork poutine, and pulled pork on a bun.  Also yummy cookies.

Opening of the day and Flag Raising

10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Join us for the opening ceremony with a land acknowledgement and flag raising ceremony with Mayor Ross Kentner at the flagpole, located at the entrance to the harbour. This will be followed by a special ceremony by local Indigenous speaker, educator and storyteller, Heather McIntyre. The Goldenaires will then perform the Canadian National Anthem while both the Canadian flag and Every Child Matters Flag will be risen.

Once the flag raising is complete, the Rotary Club of Meaford will award the Citizen of the Year.  

Family Fun and Celebrations:

9:00 a.m. Yoga at the Pier with Marissa Dolotallas. No pre-registrations required. Please bring a yoga mat and some water.

10:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Guided Canoe Tours by the Big Canoe Project. Walks-ins will be welcome. If you would like to register ahead of time, you can log-in to our recreation programming here.  Once you have logged in, select: Schedule > Special Interest > Family/All Ages to register in advance.  Located on the event side of old Harbour – docks R18 & R26.

10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Golden Town Cruisers Car Show down Bayfield Street. Enjoy the wonder of restored cars from year's past.

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Excitement for the kids and the kids at heart!   
Have fun with all kinds of great hands on games.  Located beside the Rotary Harbour Pavilion. No charge to participate.

- Small Ball Maze
- Two Person Ball Maze
- Giant Jenga
- Giant Beer Pong
- Pop a Shot – Basketball
- Corn Hole
- Chip and Stick – Golf
- Giant Kerplunk
- Box Hockey
- Baseball Challenge 
- Hockey Shootout!  

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Canada Day fun and history with The Meaford Museum, located at 111 Bayfield Street.  Stop in to learn about Meaford’s 150 years of history.  Lots of interactive displays and you can also try the scavenger hunt.

10:40 a.m.: Wheelie Parade - Pick up your bag of decorations from the Library and get ready for the Wheelie Parade!
Meet at David Johnston Beach (behind the coast guard building), parade starts at 10:40 a.m. ending at the event square beside the Harbour Pavilion.
Special thanks to Community Living Meaford for putting the bags together.

11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Face Painting and Balloon twisting with U-Pick Parties!

11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Rad Adventures will have their ramps out with demonstrations and also there for you to test out!

11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: Stilt walker, juggler and a mini clown will be wandering around performing, taking the celebrations to new heights. Jennifer Merrifield will be performing on stilts while Robbin Darling will accompany her with juggling swords and other implements. An added bonus of a mini clown tagging along with various flow toys will be fun for everyone to watch and enjoy.

Don't forget to venture downtown for a sidewalk sale taking place all day long and grab some great food from our many awesome restaurants while you're there!   

12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: The Meaford Fire Department will be there with Sparky the Fire Dog, a few fire trucks and they will be offering demonstrations and answering your questions. 

12:00 p.m.: The OPP will be there with a police car to check out, and answering your questions.  

1:00 p.m.: Paper Airplane Contest Sign up to enter the contest until 1:00 p.m.  The plane that goes the farthest will win a prize! Special thanks to Pilot Gord Price for judging the best plane! 
Sponsored by The Dam Pub. You can check out their menu or make a reservation at thedampub.ca. 

1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Canada Day Celebrations with the Meaford Public Library, located in between the steps of the pavilion. Many fun activities offered here. 

1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Talk with the Meaford Cultural Services team, located on the cement pad beside the library. Learn about all of the great events and activities happening at Meaford Hall and Meaford Museum this summer.   

Community Connection Vendors: 

10:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.: Vendors Market, Meaford Harbour, 1 Don Bumstead Drive, Meaford.  

Plenty of vendors and community organizations to connect with, and learn from:

• Cedar Creek Acres (agriculture) 

• Seeders Crackers (Baking) 

• Dee's Quiet Café (Food Concession) 

• Tranquility Farm
• SkyPies by Chef Skylar (Food Concession) 
• Fothergill's Fabulous Fudge (Baking)
• MMEA Take OUT and Catering (Food Concession)
• Wooden It Be Nice (Arts and Crafts)
• Planting Roots (Arts and Crafts)
• Michelle's Garden (Agriculture) 
• Doc Bells Hot Sauce Co. (Food Concession)
• Have some Sno Shaved Ice to cool down
• The Canadian Pet Connection: Join us at the Canadian Pet Connection booth for Meaford's Canada Day celebration! Our doggy cool-down station offers cold water, refreshing treats, fun swag, and exciting prizes to keep your furry friends happy and hydrated. Stop by to ensure your pets have a fantastic time while you enjoy the festivities!
• Meaford Culture Foundation: We are pleased to celebrate Meaford's 150th birthday and is proud to represent regional arts and culture by supporting community events and programs through our Community Outreach programs. Also, through supporting the presentation of new and unique arts and cultural experiences. 
• Beautiful Joe Heritage Society: “Smooch Your Pooch” to raise awareness of Meaford’s famous dog …. And to spread mirth!  Tell us your Beautiful Joe stories and connections, ask questions.  Pick up information, brochures and merchandise for you and your pets in support of Beautiful Joe Heritage Society.  Be sure to ask about the bridge project and tours of Beautiful Joe Park. Canada’s most famous dog has been part of Meaford’s rich history for over 130 years!

• The folks from the Farmer’s House will be bringing down their poppy red and white 1956 Ford F100, along with brochures and signage. They have poured a lot of love into this old truck, and even appealed to the province of Ontario to let them use the custom license plate, ‘ROADAPPL’.  Come on over to their table and get to know them, and see their truck.

• The Grey Grannies - The Grey Grannies are happy to be selling (by donation) used books at the Canada Day event at the waterfront again this year.
• Meaford Creative Arts Association - Meaford Creative Arts Association was established in 2001 and is the resident art club at the Meaford hall. We love to welcome new members. Our Club meets every Monday from 9am-1pm in the Terrace room at The hall. 
• Meaford Maples - Come and enjoy Maple Syrup samples, explanation of maple syrup grading, nutritional information for maple syrup, items for sale - maple leaf candies and maple kettle corn.
• Robert Burcher – Robert Burcher will be selling his book - My Summer of Glorious Freedom on July 1. It is a book that talks about John Muir and his time of living in Meaford in 1864 to 1866. Muir, an American, returned to the USA and became a hero of the conservation movement. He was the founder of the American National Parks system and the co-founder of the Sierra Club. That club is now the world's largest nature organization with over three million members. It is believed his time in the Bighead River valley was pivotal to his development as an environmental warrior.  The Trout Hollow Trails Association is now restoring the trails and bridges in the BigHead River Valley. Volunteers are welcomed. Talk to Robert!
• Creative Country Girl Candles, body butter, beard oil, beard balm, lip balm and T-shirts.

• Root To Fruit “On the shores of Georgian Bay we produce our small batch of, Elixirs, Syrups and Tonics with great care and respect. We activate our Turmeric and use all organic ingredients. We make our elixirs bioavailable & sweeten with local honey.” They can be found in a variety of stores across Ontario. The display will feature a group of their beverages.  

• SimplyFarmshed began the creative sewing journey in 2021, featuring a unique new twist on hanging towels. My passion for sewing has now led to transforming fabrics and materials that were once loved, into uniquely beautiful new tote bags and clothing that are made to be worn and loved. 

• The Sweet Life: Indulge your sweet tooth with a whirlwind of cotton candy flavours from traditional blue raspberry and pink vanilla to adventurous dill pickle or bourbon! Fresh spun before your eyes or cool yourself down and quench your thirst with an old school sno cone!
• Wounded Warriors of Canada PTSD dog program in association with All That Matters by Amy  - Amy will be offering home decor, jewelry, pocket watches, pillow covers, coronation items with proceeds going to support Wounded Warriors.

Memory Lane

This year we will be featuring a long-awaited history section. Our “Memory Lane” will showcase local history courtesy of various booths. Join us in celebrating 150 years of Meaford by seeing a glimpse into the past. 

• The Meaford Museum will bring many old-fashioned games for everyone to play. There will be many artifacts from local history, continuing our 150 celebrations. 
• Paula Hope, will be sharing the results of her research into the military correspondence, firsthand accounts and community sharing of information about the sad events leading up to, during and, after, the expropriation of 18,700 acres of beautiful farmland, stunning waterfront and a thriving community known as Cape Rich. 

  Paula’s session on her upcoming book about Cape Rich and the Expropriation, entitled Paradise Lost: The Last Untold Story of WWW1, will start at 2 pm on July 1^st. 

• Meaford Tidbits offers historical information about Meaford: two walks with several stops along the way to look at key locations, scan QR codes, and find out interesting facts about Meaford. Their display will feature many images, maps, and merchandise. 

• Gary Tippin  “Walking Home to the Past” is a collection of stories, facts and photographs that celebrate the town of Meaford, Ontario. Come along with me as we walk together the rails down memory lane and celebrate our history, culture and community. Looking forward to talking to you about my part of Meaford I grew up in “Little England”, books available 
• Marathon of History's Mat Johnson will be there to educate. He is a passionate freelance writer, historian and museum exhibit fabricator. 

Music and Entertainment: 

Get excited! Live music will be returning and will be performing throughout the day! A stage will be set up by the Rotary Harbour Pavilion, 1 Don Bumstead Drive, Meaford.  Plenty of shaded green space to come enjoy.

Special thanks to our emcee, JD Moffat and LITE99.3 FM for guiding us through this magnificent line up!

9:00 a.m.: The Browns – 

Husband and wife musical duo who have both been in the entertainment industry for over 40 years. Doug continues to study guitar daily while indulging in his gift for song writing and composing.  Heather is a trained vocalist having previously sung with several choirs and bands, as well as appearing on TV. Through a blend of voice and guitar we perform a timeless repertoire of Classic Covers that runs the gamut from Classic Pop, Classic Lite Rock, Classic 50's & 60’s, Classic Country, Classic Folk & Classic Christmas, "the Browns will take you on a trip through time with hits from yesterday and today". The Browns have been performing together for 12 years. Currently they entertain primarily in the Georgian Bay region performing 12 months of the year for special events, private events, family reunions, anniversaries, weddings, summer patios, restaurant settings (afternoons and evenings), seniors in nursing homes, retirement homes and community living venues. 

11:00 a.m.: Tyler Boyle - Interactive Dance Party, Family Dance Party, A Facilitated Dance Party
The Dance Party is a whole family dance experience for anyBODY of any age of any ability - no dance experience or coordination required.  You can’t get this wrong!  Welcome to a facilitated dance party where you will unite on the same simple movements but you will be encouraged to add your own style and to dance your own way.  We all are different so we should look different!  Creativity is encouraged and celebrated.

12:00 p.m.: The Paddling Puppeteers – Kids entertainment

Glen and Phil tune up their guitar and banjo, unzip a bag of instruments, puppets and costumes, and sing you across Canada with a host of original songs and tunes.

1:15 p.m.: Paige Warner – 

With a captivating voice, Paige Warner creates alt-pop music with soul-inspired vocal licks layered on catchy hooks of poetic lyrics. Though her career started as a busker in her small Ontario hometown, her resilience has led her to perform on stages such as Massey Hall’s TD Music Hall, Yonge-Dundas Square, Summerfolk, and open for iconic artists including Ron Sexsmith and Monowhales. Her songwriting is catchy and emotive, with lyrics touching on themes such as heartbreak, women empowerment, and love. Paige Warner’s music will tug on your heartstrings or pull you to the dance floor. Paige is bringing her full band to Meaford to celebrate Canada Day, so get ready to sing along, have some heart-to-hearts, and maybe even dance for a song or two! 

Paige Warner - Stockholm Syndrome (Official Video)

2:15 p.m.: Drew McIvor – If music be romance, then Drew McIvor's music just might be the first date: playful, chatty, honestly yearning to connect.  With his trusty six-string, this charismatic crooner performs with a masterful simplicity inviting audiences not only to listen, but truly share the musical experience. His deep affection for his craft is apparent at every turn; you can feel his heart is in the music, and it is contagious. Elements of acoustic pop, folk, worldbeat, soul and jazz are interwoven into a tapestry of intelligent, catchy tunes that fit like your favorite jeans, and soothe like a warm summer breeze.

Drew McIvor - 45's and 33's (Official Video)

3:15 p.m.: The MacKenzie Blues Band – Tara and Trevor MacKenzie are the firebrands leading the MacKenzie Blues Band, a powerhouse 5-piece modern blues band from Owen Sound Ontario. Influenced by modern american and british blues , they are creating  an electric guitar and powerhouse vocal centred phenomenon.

Since the MacKenzie Blues Band formed in 2012, they have received a Maple Blues Award, an Owen Sound Cultural Award and have twice been semi finalists at the International Blues Competition in Memphis. They have  gained the respect of their peers over the last decade of playing festivals in Canada and have been strong supporters of the Blues in the Schools.

“Tara has a big vocal talent with lots of range, and Trevor plays to her vocals, each driving the other on”- Bob Mersereau CBC

"Bone Cage" is MacKenzie's personal gospel style/chain-gang lament about society's obsession with being skinny and the struggle with body image. Songs about real topics are a shining star of this band”-Coral Andrews/The Record

Their two full studio albums “Back Road Revelation” and Slam! Bam! both received critical acclaim, many professional reviews and solid chart action, as well as a full 3 page article feature in british blues magazine “Blues Matters.” 2023 marks the upcoming release of 3 new singles and a complete album in the works for release in the coming year.

Born out of their love for psychedelic era modern blues, The MacKenzie blues band is completed by Mike Wier on drums, Joel Dawson on Bass, and Pete Devlin on co-lead guitar.

Watch video here: MacKenzie Blues Band - Up! Up! Up! Official Video 

A BIG Shout out to our Sponsors and Supporters: 

A great big THANK YOU to the following community organizations and people for their efforts in making Canada Day here in Meaford amazing. 

Rotary Club of Meaford

Kinsmen and Kinette Club of Meaford

Military Family Resource Centre  

Meaford Legion

Meaford Farmers Market

The Dam Pub

Meaford Culture Foundation

Meaford Tim Hortons

Community Living Meaford 

 E & R's Bulk Bin

Godard's Independent Grocer

Lite99.3 FM 

Thank you to the Heritage Canada Grant Foundation for their generous support of $4,320 for our wonderful Canada Day celebrations.

A Note about Fireworks: 

Canada day is a very important event here in Meaford.  It has brought us together as a community over the years and we treasure the opportunity to host.

We will not be hosting a large scale fireworks display at the Meaford Harbour but you can still enjoy fireworks at the great events held in Bognor and Annan this Canada Day weekend, space is limited, so come early. 

Like you, the Municipality is sensitive to inflation and understands our responsibility to use tax dollars efficiently. Prices are going up and supplies can be difficult to secure, fireworks are certainly included in this. Therefore, we have had to reflect on where we can spend our money while still offering a great event for our residents. To host an inclusive event we have made the decision to forego fireworks and will instead offer great activities and music by local artists.  

We’ve seen other municipalities shift to alternatives to fireworks like light shows that are less noisy and friendlier for wild animals and our pets. This is an alternative that we are investigating to see if it is a possibility for our future Canada Day events. 

We want everyone to enjoy Canada Day with us and we are working on bringing you the best event we can.