Betcha didn't know this but: it is Parks Day in Canada on July 16 and Parks Canada — which runs the country's national parks and historic sites — is putting on some free parties in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Here's the press release:
Beginning at noon, Parks Canada will invade the heart of Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver to offer Canadian families and young people a program of events including free performances involving some of the most prominent names in the Canadian art scene.
In Montréal, the Lachine Canal National Historic Site will play host to the Québécois group Les Trois Accords, followed by singer Marie-Mai. In Toronto, Centre Island will be resonating to the sound of Toronto rock band Skydiggers, followed by the rhythm of tunes by singer-songwriter-composers Serena Ryder, of Toronto, and Sarah Harmer, of Burlington. Finally, at Stanley Park's Brockton Point in Vancouver, the young singer-songwriter-composer Kate Morgan from Kamloops, the Saskatoon rock band The Sheepdogs, and the Neo-Canadian hip-hop singer K'naan, a native of Somalia, will play back to back.
“Canadians are changing and no longer have the same connection with nature as their parents and grandparents once did,” explained Mr. Alan Latourelle, Chief Executive Officer of Parks Canada. “Parks Canada is adapting by going into the very heart of cities to make Canadians more aware of the beauty of these historic, natural and cultural sites that comprise our collective heritage, and which we are protecting on their behalf.”
Some questions for the (inevitably underpaid and over-stressed) Environment Canada bureaucrat (for Parks Canada is an agency of Environment Canada) who wrote this press release:
- “Parks Canada will invade the heart of ..” Invade? Really? Like a noxious weed? That's the verb you wanted to use? Memo: War of 1812 celebrations are next year.
- What does it mean to be “Neo-Canadian”? Couldn't we just call K'Naan “a Canadian”? Or a Somali-Canadian? What's a Neo-Canadian?
- Much as I'm happy to see these artists get some great exposure, I'm not sure I connect this “invasion” of three Canadian cities by some cool indie bands to a greater appreciation of Canada's National Parks. Looking forward to hearing more about that! I'm guessing Sarah Harmer — who I associate more with Kingston, ON where she went to university and got her musical start than her hometown of Burlington — may use the stage to talk about the importance of preserving chunks of the Niagara Escarpment and how Parks Canada has only one National Park in this region, the beautiful Bruce Peninsula National Park of Canada. Plea to Sarah: Press the feds to somehow designate the entire Bruce Trail as a national park!)
In the meantime, the Parks Canada press release is as good an excuse as any to play some music video from these bands. So here's one of my fave Canadian acts, The Skydiggers (whose original lineup included one Peter Cash on guitar who happens to be the brother of one Andrew Cash, the newly elected NDP MP for Davenport) with what I think is their biggest hit, “I Will Give You Everything”: