Martha J. Foulds

public relations assistant

UW Canada Day Celebrations

Phone: 888-4567, ext. 6698

Fax: 746-9875

E-mail: canaday@uwaterloo.ca

Waterloo: Canada Day 1999 marks the 15th anniversary of the UW Canada Day Celebrations. For the fifteenth consecutive year, the University of Waterloo is offering the community an exciting day of free fun in celebration of Canada.

Widely recognized as Waterloo region’s premiere Canada Day event, these festivities are jointly hosted by the University of Waterloo and Federation of Students. Over 300 volunteers organize and run the day’s many activities. Last year alone, over 50,000 community members celebrated Canada Day at the university.

"Our volunteers really work together to make the day fun," says volunteer event manager Daryl Lee Winters. "We’re proud to be part of a team that’s giving something to the community. And what better way to do that than host a free party and invite everyone?"

Known across Kitchener-Waterloo for its fantastic musically-enhanced fireworks display, the UW Canada Day Celebrations also offer a full day of free activities prior to the evening’s light show. Starting at 2:00 p.m., the festivities include children’s games and entertainment, crafts, face painting, a dunk tank and water slide, demonstrations and a camp-style sing-a-long.

The university’s four museums are open and free to the public that afternoon as well. Also complementing the day’s events, an arts and crafts fair features a wide selection of hand-crafted goods for sale and food vendors offer hamburgers, souvlaki, candy floss and more.

The UW Canada Day Celebrations also include live musical entertainment, starting with folk/rock music at 3:00 p.m. At 4:00 p.m., the opening ceremonies officially launch the festivities with the national anthem and free birthday cake for everyone present. Live entertainment continues all day, ending with the event’s official closing ceremonies at 10:00 p.m. Other groups performing on-stage include rock cover bands, a First Nations drum group, Celtic, jazz and island music groups.

Immediately following the closing ceremonies, CHYM-FM's musically-enhanced fireworks display brings the Canada Day Celebrations to a spectacular close. Souvenir candles, sold on the field for $2 each, provide ideal lighting for the crowd assembled to view the fireworks.

"The feeling you get, singing O Canada surrounded by tens of thousands of your neighbours and friends, is really amazing. Add to that 20 minutes of fantastic fireworks, and you’ve got the perfect finale to a really memorable day," says Winters, who also volunteered at last year’s event.

Many local businesses and organizations, through generous donations and sponsorships, help make the UW Canada Day Celebrations possible year after year. This year’s presenting sponsors are the City of Waterloo, CHYM-FM, Domino’s Pizza, Canadian Heritage, the Record, J.M. Schneider, Waterloo Printing, Canadian Waste Services and Sherwood Audio. On campus groups, including the Engineering Society, Math Society and Student Ambassador Association, sponsor individual activities as well.

The UW Canada Day Celebrations are held on the Columbia Lake Fields, just north of Columbia Street West, between Philip and Westmount. Free parking for the day’s festivities is available in most campus lots, by entering off University Avenue. For more information, please contact Martha Foulds at 888-4567, ext. 6698, or visit our website at http://canadaday.uwaterloo.ca

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UW Release no.119 -- June 17, 1999