Cochranites have a plethora of local options to recognize Canada's 155th birthday this weekend.
Mitford Park will see the return of The Town's annual July 1 festivities. Co-organized by Cochrane and Area Events Society, the event will boast musical entertainment, a Quidditch match, children's games, a petting zoo, food trucks, a beer tent, and much more.
A short drive from Cochrane, Redwood Meadows Community Association is bringing back its popular July 1 tradition to the townsite – a Canada Day bike parade. That marquee event will be followed by dance and musical performances, in addition to family yard games, concessions, a bouncy castle, slip-and-slide, and more.
Following a fun Friday of festivities, Cochranites can head over to Cochrane BMX's local course to check out a series of provincial BMX races happening July 2 and 3. Spectators can take in the fast-paced action from atop the hill at the northwest corner of Highways 1A and 22.
Given the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions earlier this year, 2022 will see the first free-for-all in terms of Canada Day celebrations in Cochrane since 2019.
Considering the forecast is calling for rain for Friday, we in the Cochrane Eagle newsroom are crossing our fingers that the meteorologists have gotten their predictions wrong this time. Regardless, we're looking forward to documenting the myriad events around town – look for photos in next week's paper or online at CochraneToday.ca.
It's important to note that last year's Canada Day arrived during a time of reckoning for many Canadians, following the discovery of thousands of unmarked graves on the sites of former residential schools across the country. Those grisly findings in the spring of 2021 meant many people were not in a celebratory mood come Canada's birthday, but rather a mood of sombre reflection of one of the darkest chapters in this country's history. It's important to not forget the conversations that emerged from last year's discoveries.
