From parade traditions to the Global Village, live performances and a special live national broadcast, local artisan vendors and food booths – Canada Day festivities are taking over the city of Yellowknife on July 1.
Celebrations in Somba K’e Plaza will also feature activities for youth, along with diverse opportunities for folks of all ages to engage with the cultures of the North. Artisan vendors and food vendors will be showcasing locally made works and goods.
Austin Marshall, president of the Rotary Club of Yellowknife, spoke with Brock Cullen of True North FM about the annual parade, a long-time cherished tradition attracting Yellowknifers along with people across N.W.T. and beyond.
“We encourage anyone in the community to come out and be part of the parade,” exclaimed Marshall.
The parade is very much a long-cherished community event that brings together folks from the territories, along with grass community roots non-profit groups, cultural groups and Indigenous organizations. The parade is also known for featuring classic cars and floats hosted by local businesses.
This year’s parade will feature a special theme of “Northern animals.” Marshall said the theme came out of discussions the Rotary Club had in preparation for this year’s parade.
There will also be judges at the parade who will be looking out for this year’s showstoppers. Prizes will be awarded for different categories to celebrate the spirit of the parade participants.
“We will have judges, who will pick out their choice for various categories and they would be ‘best walking entry,’ ‘best commercial entry,’ the ‘most creative entry,’ best “Canada Day” entry and then a ‘judge’s choice’ and our cultural entry and ‘best entertainment.’ So there are quite a few groups there that the judges will apply themselves to and then we’ll publish it in the paper after the parade.
Participating in the annual parade is a tradition in Yellowknife and it’s simply a fun way to embrace Canada Day festivities, said Marshall.
“This is not to get people sort of concerned about being in a contest or anything like that. It’s just recognition,” added Marshall.
The parade has seen some fabulous, memorable floats and processions over the years, reflected Marshall and it’s something he, along with many people across the territories and beyond, look forward to each year.
People can participate individually or in groups on foot or on wheels of all shapes and sizes.
Before the parade begins, there will be a youth bicycle decorating, with all the decorations supplied by the Rotary Club to mark another tradition of the parade honouring a well known community member and organizer.
Marshall explained the tradition began with Mike Haener, who continues to be remembered and honoured each year.
“Mike loved to organize events with kids. And so in the Canada Day Parade, he would decorate bikes. We encourage young people with their parents to come and we have an area, where the assembly area for the parade is that they’ll come to. We will help them decorate their bikes and as a special prize, each kid who brings their bike, each young person who brings their bike will get a brand new $10 bill. We will encourage all of those young people with their bikes to go in the parade. They can ride together or ride with their parents, however, they want to do it, we’ll encourage that. So it has that history of many, many years ago and we want to keep it alive,” emphasized Marshall.
The parade procession will begin at 11 am on July 1 and will be preceded by a running group.
“There’s a running group, the Canada Mile Run, that starts five minutes earlier at 10:55 am.,” said Marshall.
Anyone who would like to be in the parade is asked to be in the parking area by 10 am.
Marshall said everyone is welcome join in the parade right up to the day of and there’s no cost. People can register right before also, but it’s not necessary.
“If people don’t register, that’s fine too. Uh, we kind of like to kind of say to ourselves, parade will be what we see on parade day, right?
The parade meet-up is the parking area of the Aquatic Centre near the Yellowknife Arena on Franklin Ave.
Beginning around noon, more celebrations continue downtown, including in Samba K’e Civic Plaza.
“A wide range of activities are planned to make this free event memorable, offering opportunities for Yellowknifers to connect, celebrate, and enjoy together,” said Saxon Chung, who is the corporate communications advisor for the city.
Yellowknife will host live performances and an artisan market showcasing the work of many local artists, including handmade works and goods.
Celebrations in Somba K’e Civic plaza will feature a Global Village, offering a diverse foods, highlighting cuisines across the world.
Booths at the Somba K’e Civic Plaza are offering complimentary samples of world cuisine from regions including Africa, Taiwan, India, China, Pakistan, Greece, and more.
Live music, dance and fashion from the territories of the North and across the globe will be featured, representing the many diasporas that help make up the rich cultural fabric of Yellowknife.
Performances begin at 12:30 p.m. at the main stage.
“Through this collaboration, the City and MCY aim to honour Yellowknife’s cultural diversity by creating an inclusive and welcoming space for residents and visitors to share global traditions, talents, and flavours,” said Chung.
Yellowknife was selected by Heritage Canada among three other Canadian cities, along with Ottawa for the 2025 National Canada Day Evening Broadcast. The broadcast is scheduled to air live on CBC and Radio-Canada beginning at 6:00 p.m MT.
The event will feature live performances from two acclaimed Northern artists, including Brenda Montana, who is an Inuk pop singer-songwriter and TikTok influencer from Rankin Inlet. Montana’s bilingual music is known as a powerful expression of Inuit culture, conveying “messages of hope and unity.” Joining Montana is Crook The Kid (Dylan Jones), who is a Métis hip-hop artist from Fort Good Hope. Jones is known for his compelling storytelling and cultural advocacy.
Montana and Jones will perform independently and also collaboratively onstage for the event. The artists co-created a special musical piece specifically for the event, which will be performed publicly for the first time on July 1.
Brenda Montana is scheduled to take to the stage in Somba K’e Civic Plaza at about 3: 15 pm followed by Crook the Kid at about 4 pm
The broadcast event will also feature artists performing in Ottawa, Summerside and Vancouver.
The Straydogs, a celebrated local band, will take to the stage at Somba K’e Civic Plaza at 5 pm
Canada Day Program Schedule:
- 12:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremony
- 12:30 p.m. – Multicultural Community of Yellowknife Showcase
- 3:15 p.m. – Brenda Montana
- 4:00 p.m. – Crook The Kid
- 5:00 p.m. – The Straydogs
There will also be additional activities for youth, including bouncy castles, face-painting and interactive lawn games, including Giant Snakes and Ladders, Giant Jenga, and Connect Four.
