Canada Day and new beginings

Yesterday was Canada Day a day to celebrate our county’s 142nd birthday. . I hope you all you Canadians had a blast whatever you were doing.

Every year since I was could remember my family and I took in our (old) towns Canada Day parade and the rest of the activity’s afterward. And or if we were home/in the pool and the wind was right we could smell the famous Salmon BBQ that they always have…. the joys of living in a small fishing town. Though this year I opted out of driving out to take in the venue, as I over slept and I didn’t really want to battle others looking for parking.

I think its the little things I’m missing about my old place, like every year there would be a paper Canadian flags in everyone’s front lawn, so everyone could have a flag when they head down to the parade, which was done by a realtor who lived in the subdivision as well I went to school with her two sons. If I was able to find those flags I would have done it to my neighbours but I ran out of time. The city I’m in now had their own celebrations, I think I saw more of my neighbours yesterday out and about on the street then I have all year. I didn’t take part in it this year as I took out my Mom for lunch instead.

Growing up and watching those I am Canadian, Molson Canadian beer commercials on tv with one of them sticking to my mind to this day though I can’t find it on youtube. Where this person had a tattoo of Canada with the flag filling it in.. (tired googling but found more American tattoos of that style.) Since I first saw that commercial I wanted that tattoo or something close to it, to mark that I was a proud Canadian.

We all show how patriotic we are to our country in different ways: some are willing fight and die for us, others will be presenting their county at a sporting event or flying their country flag all year long (not just on the country birthday). Like many, I have opted for a Canadian Maple Leaf tattoo with a dragon boat paddle.

To the neighbours to the south have a great 4th of July this weekend.

How did you spend your Canada Day / July 1st?
How patriotic are you? Just on your countries birthday or all year long?
Would you ever get a patriotic tattoo?

Post on: Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Category: everything, life
Tags: Canada Day, db, family, July 4th, newhouse, oldhouse, Olympics, tattoo
6 Comments »

Last year of local Dragon Boat Festival?

I know nothing is forever set in stone but the future of Vancouver’s Dragon Boating Community has been in the hands of the City Council for the last 10 years trying to get a permanent building on False Creek. But since the Olympics are just months away, it just seems like everything is about the Olympics. I do have to agree with Todd, that if we were award the Summer Olympics, we might not have this much of a problem. Its just annoying that a year long sport and with this weekend festival that racks in over $2.4 MILLION dollars. Let alone this is Canada’s/North America’s Largest Dragon Boat Festival with 9 boat per heats (races) be being shafted for a 32 day event. I don’t get?

Last year we had four paddling centers on the creek that housed dragon boats teams but this year one had to close down because of where it was located to the Olympic Village with that the festival they host will no longer running. Which is sad, its the only festival around here where, you can do barrel races, paddle blindfolded and race all in different style boats. I heard rumors since late last season on a forum I visit about the city wanting to relocate another paddling center (the main paddling center that we use for all the festivals/regattas) to elsewhere on the creek. Which is fine with me but not sure where they want to put this new paddling center is bothering me and a lot of others.

The City had two open houses showing plans of development of the area earlier in the year. Though I wasn’t able to make either of them because they were only open for a few hours both days. Oi! So I don’t know what’s going to happen.

False Creek has been a keen place for Dragon Boaters since Expo ’86, three years later in 1989 Vancouver held it’s 1st Dragon Boat Festival, years later in 1996 Vancouver was the first city to host a Worlds outside of Asia. With this year marking the 21st Dragon Boat Festival which also might be it’s last one . Which is sad because this is one of my favourite festivals to attend.

When I started off in this sport, this weekends race was basically the only Dragon Boat event out there with one or two regattas. But now since this sport has grown so much over the years. You can find a Dragon Boat event almost every other weekend and all over the planet. I may not be paddling on the creek this season but I do consider the creek to be my home away from home for the last 14 of my 15 years.

If you are in the area this weekend, please come down and sign the petition to keep Dragon Boating on the Creek. No where else in the Lowermainland that hold up to 9 boat heats, other venues can run 3-4 boat heats, 6 if lucky. So please help save this amazing sport!!!!

For More Info:

Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat Team
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