Canada Day in Polson Park (Vernon Matters file photo)

By Liam Verster

Polson Park

Fireworks deemed ‘unsafe’ for Vernon’s Canada Day, but many other events planned

May 14, 2024 | 3:00 PM

Fireworks likely won’t be shot off during Vernon’s Canada Day celebrations this year, but a representative for the group organizing the event says it will still feature lots of activities.

Mayla Janzen of the Vernon-Okanagan Inspired Community Events (VOICE) Society, the organization that took over the event from the North Okanagan Canada Day Society, spoke to Vernon city council Monday, May 13, to outline plans for celebrations at Polson Park on Monday, July 1.

“Canada Day will be free to attend with activities suitable for all ages, and we are still working on leveraging a smaller budget and a shorter timeline into activities, experiences, and features with the largest impact,” Janzen stated.

“Due to climate change risks, we have deemed fireworks unsafe for the foreseeable future at this point.”

The representative of the VOICE Society went on to say that planning for the celebrations is ongoing, but lots of activities and amenities will be available.

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There will be Community Art Activities, including the second annual Live Art Battle and a large canvas art project that everyone can contribute to; a skate competition; a Cruise-In Car Show; FruitFest; the Story Walk; an animatronic dinosaur; and the Polson Artisan Night Market and a food truck garden.

There will also be live music by a series of Okanagan and Shuswap-based artists, including Apollo Suns, Linus and Mozi Bones, from 2 to 9 p.m. on July 1, with efforts ongoing to draw in more bands.

The VOICE Society also plans to use inner-tubes to construct and igloo-like structure and a sun catcher .

“Our theme for this year, to kind of add a bit of pizzaz to it, is to do a large-scale interactive art piece, and we’re going to build it out of inner-tubes,” Janzen explained.

“This its the idea, that we will essentially have a sun catcher, that we need to figure out how we’re going to hang and suspend safely in the park at this point, but the igloo should be achievable. So we have many, many of these inner-tubes on our way to us right now.”

A concept of the inner-tube igloo and sun catcher (images courtesy of the VOICE Society)

Local Canada Day celebrations featured a dunk-tank in previous years, but Janzen called the available item “dodgy” and “at risk of falling apart,” adding unless they can find somewhere else to rent one, they may not feature a dunk-tank this year.

To ensure the Canada Day celebrations go off without a hitch, Janzen asked the City of Vernon to provide the society with tables, chairs and an event trailer; to waive the park rental fees; to have employees on hand to assist with problems and emergencies; to set up six porta-potties behind the band shell; to provide on-site traffic control; and provide temporary permits for entertainment.

City staff informed council that previous years saw the North Okanagan Canada Day Society receive $12,000 in financial support from the city.

Council tasked staff with reporting back on funding options for the nation’s birthday party in Vernon at the next regular council meeting.