The fireworks punctuated a great first Canada Day Kamloops style for Sarah, a Bachelor of Journalism student from Pincher Creek, Alta.

Canada Day Kamloops Style: What Really Happened

What follows is Canada Day in Kamlops through they eyes of Sarah, who is from the small Alberta town of Pincher Creek.

By Sarah MacMillan
Bachelor of Journalism, fourth year

Canada Day in Kamloops started off with a sizzle and ended with a bang.

The frying pan sizzled as the homemade pancake batter was poured onto the hot surface, the aroma of fresh raspberry chocolate chip pancakes filled the small apartment. Being up and at the park in the morning proved a little too difficult for my sister and me. So in order to have pancakes for breakfast, we had to make our own.

Art in the Park (click the photo to see a larger version on flickr)

It was then off to Riverside Park to take in Art in the Park. And when they say Art in the Park, they are not kidding-music, martial art demonstrations and craft booths. Pincher Creek (where I’m from) holds craft fairs where people sell their homemade products. However, the craft fair barely fills a small store, never mind an entire park.

The park was full of people all different ages browsing the craft booths and the food booths. The smells of all the different ethnic foods mingled together to create an intoxicating smell, drawing us from one food booth to the next.

After spending a few hours at Riverside Park, seeing and participating in all we could (including learning how to lawn bowl, which in my opinion is much more difficult than regular bowling), my sister and I went hiking. We hiked in Kenna Cartwright Park enjoying the feel of the sun warming our faces as we passed the time, waiting for the darkness of night.

Once night fell, Canada Day in Kamloops ended off with a bang — the bang of green, red, blue and white fireworks that lit the July night sky.

This marked the end to my first Canada Day celebrated Kamloops style.

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Sarah is from a small town and will be experiencing her first Canada Day in Kamloops. What’s in store? Will the celebration live up to her expectations?

What does Canada Day in Kamloops look like through the eyes of someone from a small town? We’ve asked student Sarah MacMillan to write both a preview and some observations from the day itself, and what follows is her preview. Next week you can read her adventures (and misadventures?) from the big birthday bash. Sarah is a fourth-year Bachelor of Journalism student.

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Sarah’s thoughts days before Canada Day

By Sarah MacMillan
Bachelor of Journalism, fourth year

For the last few years, Canada Day for me has been just another day. Get up, go to work, and go home — nothing really exciting. But this year is going to be different. This year I’m celebrating Canada Day Kamloops style.

It is the first time I will be celebrating Canada Day in Kamloops, so I’ve decided to experience as many of the Canada Day activities as I can. This includes enjoying pancakes, made by someone else, for breakfast (though there is no way I will be there when it starts at 7am); seeing all the art in the park; trying some different cultural foods; and enjoying some live music. Oh, and watching the fireworks.

It’s the fireworks that I am most excited about. Coming from a small town (Pincher Creek, Alta.), the closest thing I’ve had for fireworks on Canada Day is some sparklers and possibly a neighbour setting off a firecracker or two. So for me, the fireworks are a must see. Plus, what is Canada Day, or any celebration without fireworks?

However, I won’t be experiencing all this alone. I plan on dragging my unsuspecting sister, who is visiting, along with me so she can have the Kamloops Canada Day experience as well. So hopefully all goes well.

And fingers crossed it doesn’t rain.

Check back next week to see if my Canada Day really went as planned.