Happy 156th birthday, Canada!
Thousands gathered at Tudhope Park Saturday night to watch the fireworks that capped off a day of festivities as Orillia marked Canada Day.
“It’s a great night for fireworks. No wind and no rain,” said Brian Hare, one of the volunteer organizers behind Orillia’s popular Canada Day events.
Before the fireworks launched, there was a DJ booth that played music that had many in the crowd dancing to the hits of today.
“It’s really busy here, which is nice to see,” stated Ward 3 Coun. Jeff Czetwerzuk.
This year’s fireworks had to be relocated to Tudhope Park all due to the construction down at Couchiching Beach Park, which not only affected the fireworks, but the rest of the Canada Day celebrations which were relocated this year to the Orillia Recreation Centre. (Click here to read about that event.)
As with any change of plans, there were challenges Saturday night.
Many spectators mentioned the trees at the park limited viewing spots for the fireworks, especially where the fireworks were being launched, from Barnfield Point.
“It makes it hard to find viewing areas that are decent. We almost felt like we had to show up late this afternoon to get a spot without trees,” said one spectator.
Parking was also an issue as the onsite lots filled up quickly, forcing many people to head back to the Orillia Recreation Centre, where a free shuttle was offered.
Due to the volume of traffic, the shuttle buses had a hard time entering and exiting the grounds, but did manage to transport people to the fireworks on time, according to officials.
The one perfect viewing seemed to be the sandy area of Moose Beach; many arrived early to get their spots and, while waiting, took a dip into Lake Couchiching and enjoyed the splash pad on site.
Many boats also anchored in the area, creating floating parties. The Orillia OPP Marine Unit was out ensuring everyone was safe on the water.
At about 10 p.m. as darkness fell, the fireworks launched and wowed the crowd. There were a lot of oohs and aahs as the bright colours lit up the skies.
Organizers say even though it was a "great" show and turnout, they hope to be back at Couchiching Beach Park next year.
