Celebrate Canada!
The last half of June is jam-packed with activities, Online events, and ideas to celebrate Canada before the big day - Canada Day!
The Museum is open with free entry on each of the Celebrate Canada Days:
June 21st - National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 24th - St. Jean Baptiste Day
June 27th - Canadian Multiculturalism Day
July 1st - Canada Day
And one more special day - July 8th - National Historic Places Day
June is Indigenous History Month - check out our full page for resources, activities, and videos to learn more about the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples of Canada - in particular, the Sinixt Nation whose land we live, work, and play in every day.
June 21st - Indigenous Peoples Day
Indigenous Peoples Day at the Rossland Museum will combine opportunities to learn about the people of this land while also engaging with exhibits and resources that tell the truth and offer insight on a path forward to reconciliation. Join us at the museum on June 21st and learn more about the Sinixt and the təmxʷúlaʔxʷ (homeland) while taking in some ancestral baskets from our Autonomous Sinixt collection and even create your own basket design. Physical resources and virtual connections will also be available for further engagement with Truth and Reconciliation.
We also have little craft kits from Canadian Heritage to build your own Metis Fiddle, Inuit Inukshuk, or Indigenous Canoe to take home.
June 24th - St. Jean Baptiste Day (Activities on Saturday, June 25th)
Stop into the Museum either day to explore the museum at no cost!
Saturday:
2-4pm St. Jean Baptiste Day-themed STEAM Day
4:15pm Film Showing: A License to Remember Je Me Souviens - English/French (w/ English Captions) 2002, 51 min
Director Thierry Le Brun sets off across the province of Quebec in his documentary, to learn just what the license plate slogan "Je me souviens" means to Quebecers. Quebec license plates don't sport cutesy tourist slogans like "Canada's Ocean Playground" or "Land of Living Skies." Instead, they draw attention to the past with "Je me souviens" ("I remember"), a motto that cuts to the heart of Quebec history and society.
Le Brun rides a dog sled, goes ice fishing, visits an emu farm, joins the Carifiesta celebrations and even gets pulled over by the cops. Along the way he meets a cast of characters, both famous and unknown, with wildly differing views on the provincial motto. "Je me souviens" becomes a Rorschach ink blot into which Quebecers peer, each with their own interpretation, showing the concerns of the many communities that make up their land.
The National Arts Centre has also developed some francophone activities.
June 27th - Canadian Multiculturalism Day
Our Canadian community is a tapestry woven from a diverse collection of cultural threads, and Rossland's history presents rich examples of the varied make up of our collective identity. Explore Indigenous Basketry of our region, the history of Chinese culture in Rossland, as well as components of early settler life that have shaped our community through to today.
July 1st - Canada Day
Photo by Mike Sloan Photography
This year's celebration is all about community, fun, and food! While the event and entertainment will begin at noon, festivities will officially kick off at 2 pm with a Welcome to the təmxʷúlaʔxʷ (homeland) from Autonomous Sinixt Elder and Smum Iem Matriarch Marilyn James followed by an address from the City of Rossland represented by Councillor Andy Morel. Andy will serve up some themed treats from Hooper's Bakery & The Pastry Shop while the city hosts a special booth celebrating Rossland's 125th birthday.
Complete with a beer garden in partnership with the Rossland Beer Company, the Rossland Golden City Lions Club will be cooking up hot dogs and sausages for sale throughout the afternoon, along with other presenters and vendors partnering to bring you this year's event, including Kootenay Gateway, Silly Moose Donuts, WildSafeBC Rossland/Trail, Happy Ice Pops from Delicious Baby & Kids, and more! With live entertainment from the Golden City Fiddlers, Gold Fever Follies Official, and Robbie Turnbull, a language workshop by the Autonomous Sinixt, family-friendly activities like face painting by Yarnia and scavenger hunts, and 125+ years to remember and celebrate between 12pm and 4pm, you won't want to miss this year's event.
Entry is free, though donations are always welcome.
Free shuttles for Seniors from/to Esling Park Lodge will run at 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm.
This event is funded in part by the Government of Canada, Teck Trail Operations, Tourism Rossland, FortisBC, the City of Rossland, and Columbia Basin Trust.
IMPORTANT NOTE
We will not be presenting an evening concert or fireworks show at the end of the night this year.
At-Home Activities:
Take a tour of Turtle Island to discover some interesting facts about First Nations, Inuit and Métis culture!
Make a few Canada Day-themed crafts with materials at home thanks to the Canadian Museum of History: A shaker, a wand, or garland
Canadian Mint - Download Colouring Coins - You’ll find some beautiful coins eagerly awaiting your colouring skills (some for kids and some for adults)
Canadian Heritage Celebrate Canada Kit
Do a Canadian-themed Scavenger Hunt at home!
July 8th - National Historic Places Day
We are open by donation for National Historic Places Day. We’ll also have some special activities out for everyone and a fun mining scavenger hunt.
See our event page for more info.
Our Celebrate Canada activities and free entry days are supported in part by the Government of Canada.