After two years of pandemic-restricted Canada Day events, celebrations in Calgary will look very similar to past years, with events scheduled at three new downtown locations.
Here’s a look at what’s open, what’s closed, and what’s scheduled for Canada Day in Calgary this year.
What is open, what is closed
Calgary Transit will have a level service Sunday today. The agency’s call centers and customer service centers will remain closed. You can use the agency’s travel planner to determine if your trip will be affected.
Today there will be several roadblocks around Calgary. A Memorial Drive section will be closed for recreational use.
As the events will take place in East Village, Ramsay and downtown Calgary, other road cuts will also be made.
In the East Village, the following roads will be closed from 6 a.m. to midnight:
- Eighth Avenue SE from Fourth Street to Sixth Street SE
- Sixth Street from Ninth Avenue to Eighth Avenue SE
- Fifth Street from Eighth Avenue to Seventh Avenue SE
- Seventh Avenue and Fifth Street Square SE and Fifth Street from Eighth Avenue to Seventh Avenue SE
In downtown Calgary, from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am, the following roads will be closed:
- Macleod Trail SE between Seventh Avenue SE and Ninth Avenue SE
- Third Street SE between Seventh Avenue SE and Ninth Avenue SE
Parking will be free in ParkPlus areas on the street and in certain Calgary Parking Authority parking spaces. Holiday rates will be in effect on selected area lots, while the usual rates will apply to Lot 24, Calgary Zoo, TELUS Spark and Heritage Park.
The site will be closed.
All Calgary administrative buildings, including City Hall, will be closed. The sands, sports parks and flat water pools will remain closed.
The Glenmore Reservoir will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and there will be canoe rentals.
Fireworks show
At 11pm there will be a live fireworks show, with a soundtrack by CJSW 90.9 FM. Artists lined up on this soundtrack include Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, DJ Shub and The Tragically Hip, among others.
Before the fireworks, there will be a blessing of Stoney Nakoda’s former Cindy Daniels with a moment of silence to recognize the children who died and are still missing after being taken to residential schools. Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek will also deliver a message ahead of the fireworks.
Calgary residents can watch the fireworks in person as they are launched from the Calgary City Hall, or they can watch the live stream.
Canada Day Events
The city has scheduled a full day of events for Canada Day.
Fort Calgary will host an indigenous shop window and a powwow. There will be food trucks on site and CBC’s Angela Knight will present a lineup of all Canadian musicians on stage.
Our Canada Day activity map shows what’s happening & where on July 1:
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St. Patrick’s Island will host a variety of family-friendly attractions, including street musicians, stilt walkers, performing artists and face painters. There will also be craft tents and activities.
Olympic Plaza will also host musicians throughout the day, with promising jazz, indigenous and country events. Arts Commons will also host an art event on this site.
Many Calgarans will also be out of town for Canada Day.
The long Canada Day weekend is usually one of the busiest times of the year for visitors to the city of Banff, and officials say those planning to hike should expect a lot of congestion and should make a security plan.