Pierrefonds-Roxboro reinvents Canada Day bash during pandemic

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Pierrefonds-Roxboro has come up with what it hopes is a safe and novel way to hold Canada Day festivities this year, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of rolling its annual Canada Day parade through suburban streets with large crowds of citizens lining the parade route, this year’s event will be held in the sprawling parking lot next to the borough hall on Pierrefonds Blvd., allowing for a more controlled environment.

Families are invited to attend a drive-thru style event entitled “Tales Around the World: a journey into an enchanted universe for Canada Day” in the comfort of their own car. For those without a car, the borough is providing a wagon train to take you there.

The event is free, but pre-registration is mandatory.

Residents who wish to attend the event must reserve their place in advance and choose one of the time slots offered on the online ticketing service which will be accessible at montreal.ca/pierrefonds-roxboro.

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Tickets will be available starting Wednesday, June 16 at 10 a.m. Spots are limited so reservations will be done on a  ‘First come, first served’ basis.

As the ride takes place while inside your family vehicle, you must reserve one ticket per family.

Citizens who do not own a car will also have the option of reserving their participation spot via an online ticketing service. But they will have to wear a face mask throughout the ride, which will take place outside aboard a wagon train (one wagon per family bubble).

This event is only open to Pierrefonds-Roxboro residents.

Pierrefonds has held Canada Day parades since the 1970s, but health and safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced the borough to reinvent its festivities, said Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis

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“After the difficult year that we have gone through in solidarity, it is excellent news to be able to hold again a major event in our community,” he said.

“Not only is the concept safe and takes into account the pandemic situation, but… the enchantment that we will experience on July 1 and the Tales From Around the World that will make up the narrative of this participatory event, perfectly illustrate the richness of our cultural mix and our strength of inclusion in Pierrefonds-Roxboro.”

Other local festivities are also planned for Canada Day celebrations.

Three pop-up shows are planned for public parks on July 1. “The main idea of these performances is to present a festive musical experience, easy to access, that spreads joy and good humour. Physical distancing will have to be respected by the spectators present,” the borough said.

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Fanfare de l’Île, a group of musicians from Montreal, will perform a traditional jazz repertoire in three targeted parks. The borough said park locations of the spontaneous performances will only be revealed a few days before Canada Day.

More info on Canada Day events will be unveiled soon on the Pierrefonds-Roxboro Facebook page (@pfds.rox) and borough website at montreal.ca/pierrefonds-roxboro

While all events are free, citizens are asked to donate non-perishable food items. A Traveling Cart will be on-site to collect items, which will then be donated to a local food bank.

jmeagher@postmedia.com