Due to the recent pandemic, most of the world is still social distancing and large gatherings are still a thing of the past, Canada Day with COVID was unique this year.
Most cities and towns usually have a fair of some sort going on for Canada Day. People usually take the kids to enjoy the rides, games, and food at the fair.
It is also common, once it is dark in the evening most cities and towns would have a fun firework display in celebration of our great country.
This year things were vastly different because of the necessary changes COVID has imposed on the world.
There was no fair and no community fireworks display.
With no large public gatherings allowed yet, families were left to find a way to celebrate Canada`s 153rd birthday on their own.
So here is what we did to celebrate in our unique way.
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Smaller Get-Togethers
COVID-19 reshapes Canada Day celebrations to online shows and backyard celebrations.
It is a strange sight to see Parliament Hill almost empty on Canada Day, very surreal.
Usually, there are crowds of people and lots of music and festivities throughout the day.
There is usually a large fireworks display in the evening in celebration of our country.
This year Parliament looks like a ghost town as our government opted for online festivities and no public gatherings.
In our province, New Brunswick, we are currently in our yellow stage of recovery. What that means is that we are allowed to have small get-togethers with family and close friends.
Since we have always celebrated Canada Day as a family we planned a fun day.
We have three sons in Alberta and another son and his family in Ontario, preventing us from getting together with any of them.
Thankfully our daughter and her family live close by so we were able to celebrate together and what a fun time we had.
While there are still so many restrictions in place there are plenty of ways to have fun together and enjoy life.
Family BBQ
We planned a potluck BBQ with our daughter and son-in-law and their three children. We also invited our son-in-law’s mother and friend as well as a close friend.
It was a fantastic BBQ with a ton of food. There were burgers, hot dogs, ribs, and chicken along with various salads.
Our oldest granddaughter who is 15 decided she wanted to make a potato salad. This was the first time she made something for a family dinner completely on her own. She did a great job, it was delicious, and everyone loved it.
And of course, a wonderful, diabetic-friendly dessert (Chocolate Eclair Dessert) to accommodate our 5-year-old type 1 diabetic grandson.
Everyone enjoyed the food and the company of each other.
Fun in the Pool
It was a hot day and we were fortunate to have a swimming pool. Kids and adults enjoyed some fun in the pool.
The kids enjoyed the pool so much they spent about 4 hours swimming.
They played games in the pool and tossed around a Frisbee while in the water.
Alex(5) was even practicing swimming without his life jacket or swim ring, naturally, he was closely supervised.
Our oldest granddaughter even brought out her Bluetooth speaker and supplied the music for all to enjoy.
Type 1 Doesn’t Stop This Family
As some of you know our 5-year-old grandson has type 1 diabetes so every day is filled with diabetes care.
All that fun in the pool was a bit too long for Alex because his CGM(continuous glucose monitor) stopped functioning.
We resorted to doing more frequent finger pokes until he was finished with the pool for the day then we changed his disc and got his CGM working again.
When it was time for dinner our daughter calculated his carbs for his insulin dosing and the fun continued into the evening.
Over the past year, we have all adapted to taking care of Alex`s diabetes and it doesn’t stop us from enjoying life to the fullest.
Campfire and Private Fireworks
We ended the day with a campfire in our backyard fire pit and our fireworks once it was dark enough.
My husband lit the fire with help from his little assistant, Alex.
The girls and I carried down chairs from the deck and we all sat around enjoying the fire and the company of each other.
I had purchased fireworks to celebrate and once it was dark enough my husband and son-in-law set off the show.
We all enjoyed the fireworks immensely and we even had sparklers for the kids to enjoy.
It was the perfect end to a fun-filled day and everyone was happy and tired afterward. I am sure Alex likely fell asleep on their short drive home.
Final Thoughts
Canada Day with COVID-19 turned out to be a pretty good day.
We have always been an active and fun-loving family and we did not let the restrictions of COVID and the necessary restrictions prevent us from celebrating Canada Day.
We just got creative and did it our way with family and friends.
There was good food, lots of water fun, and even fire and fireworks and sparklers.
Did we miss the usual going to the fair and watching the kids have fun on the rides and the community fireworks?
Of course, we did, but we didn’t let it stop us and that is the point. Why let circumstances beyond our control stop us from enjoying life and each other to the fullest?
We got together with family and friends and enjoyed the time together having fun and being silly with the kids.
Finding a way to enjoy ourselves and celebrate Canada Day and each other in our own unique way truly created our best Canada Day yet.
How did you celebrate Canada’s 153rd birthday or Independence Day for our neighbours to the south? Share your celebration ideas in the comment section below, I look forward to hearing how others celebrated.
Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians and Happy Independence Day to our fellow Americans, stay safe.
“I am not in any way a medical practitioner, please do not rely on the information on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or another healthcare provider. We only share our experiences.”
I really enjoyed reading your article, it’s a very different time at the moment especially during celebrations but it’s nice that you managed to still celebrate with your family.
My grandad has type 1 diabetes so you do have to be constantly mindful but you seem to have it covered.
look forward to reading more.
Thanks for your comment, Amy. Yes, things are strange and difficult with all these restrictions lately but finding ways to celebrate life with family and friends is important. Before we were able to get together with family and friends we would get together over the internet and keep in contact that way. Just takes a bit of creativity and we can enjoy each other and celebrate various occasions in our unique ways. Take care.
I really loved reading this post. My son has type 1 and it’s great to hear people enjoying life to the fullest also. We are strung believers in enjoying life just like anyone. By the way picture by the fire is great. Real relaxing.
Thanks for the comment, Russ. I agree that life should be enjoyed to the fullest. We are here for such a short time that each moment we have with loved ones is precious and as such, we need to make as many memories as possible. Sorry to hear your son has type 1 as well. Keep making memories, kids grow up way too fast.
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Best,
Ali
Thank you Ali for such warm comments. Yes COVID significantly altered the way we celebrated Canada Day but we were creative in finding a way to celebrate within the necessary restrictions and celebrate our way. It is my hope that other Canadians did not let COVID stop them from celebrating and found something that worked for them. This site is mainly about our journey into the type 1 diabetes world with our five-year-old grandson. It has been a year of learning and it is our wish to share the knowledge we have gained with others in the hope that they won’t feel so alone in this daily struggle that is diabetes. Of course, it is only natural to share our solutions to everyday life as well. Take care and stay safe.