July 2, 2024

CELEBRATING ‘THE RED’: TRUE PATRIOTIC LOVE MORNING, NOON, NIGHT

BRACEBRIDGE — Sunrise to sunset Canada Day was a cavalcade of our colours and lighting up day and night.

The sights were red and white hued with true patriotic love as Canadians celebrated with song and dance — and a ton of cup cakes and ice cream across Muskoka.

In the air, on the ground and in between it was as ideal a day as could be prayed for. Not only weather-wise with perfect mid-20s temperatures straight through, but with entertainment all around.

Shorts, tank-tops and all states of dress and undress were festooned with “The Red.”

More maple leaf fans than at the Scotiabank Arena or come October.

All day Monday, July 1, we marked the country’s 157^th birthday in fitting Canuck style.

Bifocals cool cat saxophonist Steve Richards won the prize for the most colourful bandsman with his Amazon shirt covered with all-things Canadian back and front that make us proud to be who we are at 157.

Gravenhurst started things off with cake, ice cream and hot dogs — not always in that order. Bethune Memorial House also celebrated with cake and lemonade.

Muskoka Heritage Place in Huntsville had the cup cakes on its morning menu and music.

Bracebridge began a day of music starting at the Memorial Park band shell with the Gravenhurst Bifocals Band playing O Canada at noon. The lively sounds moved down the hill for afternoon sets at the end of Manitoba Street.

Before Rotary’s spectacular evening fireworks display — the sensational weather bringing out another record crowd for the one of the best-setting displays outside Canada’s capital city.

More than 1,000 in south Muskoka took time to travel to the Muskoka Airport to sit in the cockpit of the Canso 5BY-5A and crawl through the huge orange vintage airplane built to detect German U-Boats around Canada in the Second World War.

A five-hour line-up passed easily for air buffs and the curious who shared what it was like before and after it became a water bomber. It was resurrected and restored in 2017 following years sunk in a Northwest Territories lake after post-war commercial service.

**Cute ‘Lil Canuck’ Sloane Grimstead, 2, reserves her place on the Bifocals bandstand for a future Canada Day concert.**

CANSO departure 2 p.m. Tuesday

You can still catch sight of the plane leaving Gravenhurst on Tuesday afternoon headed for North Bay after a two-night layover from Trenton on its cross-country tour.

A note today on their Facebook read: “Good morning to those of you who are following us. Our departure from Muskoka airport we will be looking at 2 pm. So if you wanted to come to the airport, you can see us along the fence coming to the airport or from the terminal building. We have had a fabulous time here, thank you to my Team Muskoka organizers it has been a pleasure working with all of you!”