Canada Day 2015: The best places to watch fireworks across the country

We’ve rounded up some of the top places to watch fireworks in major cities across the country – where will you be watching?

No Canada Day celebration is complete without an extravagant fireworks display! We love ending our night with a beautiful set of fireworks, so we’ve rounded up some of the top places to watch fireworks in major cities across the country – where will you be watching?

Victoria: A day filled with performances, family-friendly activities, and lots of food is capped off with a gorgeous fireworks display at Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Be sure to check out their full list of Canadian artists performing on their main stage throughout the event! The fireworks will start at 10:20 p.m.

Vancouver: Canada Place is the spot to be all-day long in Vancouver! Live music and dance performances, interactive activity zones, and oh-so-much food will keep you busy during the day, while the Canada Day parade at 7 p.m. and the fireworks at 10:30 will wrap up a spectacular day.

Calgary: Wherever you are, look up! At 10:45 p.m., the city of Calgary will be setting off fireworks from the Centre Street Bridge. This location will allow the show to be seen from various parts of the city, but any spot along the river will give you a really great view. You can also check out patriotic festivities during the day at Prince Island’s Park and Riverfront Avenue.

Edmonton: The river valley is a stunning backdrop for the city’s stunning fireworks show over the North Saskatchewan River at 11 p.m., following the lighting of the historic High Level Bridge. Festive celebrations will take place throughout the day at City Hall, the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Mill Woods, and other areas of the city.

Regina: Head to Wascana Park for a day-long celebration of Canada, capped off by fireworks after dark around 10:30 p.m. Although they’re set off from Willow Island, they can be seen throughout all of the park or anywhere along the lakeshore.

Winnipeg: The Forks is home to family-friendly activities all day long on July 1st, including musicians, buskers, crafts, and more. The evening closes with a stunning fireworks display at 11 p.m.

Toronto: Whether you live in the north end of the city or down by the lake, there are tons of great Canada Day events in the city, and two noteworthy firework shows. At Mel Lastman Square in North York, the city’s official celebration begins at 5 p.m. musical performances and acrobatic shows, and is capped off with a fireworks display at 10:15 p.m. Down by Lake Ontario, fireworks will light up the sky around 10 p.m. at Ashbridge’s Bay Park.

Ottawa: What better place to celebrate Canada Day than at the nation’s capital? The city’s biggest celebration is on Parliament Hill, with a day-long concert and a fireworks show over the Ottawa River. Just want to see the fireworks? They’ll start around 10 p.m. and you’ll get a great view at Gatineau’s Jacques-Cartier Park and the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization), as well as Major’s Hill Park in Ottawa and along the Ottawa River.

Montreal: The Old Port hosts a variety of historic and cultural events throughout the day on July 1st, with a stunning fireworks display over the St. Lawrence River to close out the celebrations, starting at 10 p.m.

Fredericton: Canada Day fun kicks off at noon in Officer’s Square with kid-friendly activities, live entertainment, food vendors and a huge fireworks display over the St. John River at dusk.

Halifax: Parades, music, and family-friendly activities last all day long at Dartmouth Crossings, and the fireworks show at the Halifax Harbour at 10 p.m. is not to be missed!

St. John’s: A sunrise ceremony, cake, bouncy castles and musical performances all lead up to a fireworks display over Quidi Vidi Lake at Signal Hill.

We also asked our viewers to share their favourite fireworks-watching spots! Here are some of their top picks from our Facebook page:

  • Linda Alcock said: In Orillia, Ontario. They have the BEST Canada Day parade!
  • Brenda Peachey said: On the beach in beautiful Parksville, BC.
  • Margaret Dove said: Twillingate, NL with family and friends.
  • Leigh-Ann Ellipses said: Wonderland fireworks are awesome.
  • Crystal Hamilton said: From a hotel room that faces south in Toronto. Watch 20 shows across the skyline without the noise and bugs. I’m from 3 hours north and any of the towns I have been to aren’t that great. I’m going to be in Toronto again this year. HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

Our Twitter followers were eager to share their picks, too! Here are some of their faves:

Where will you be watching fireworks this year? Tell us about your favourite places in the comments! Happy Canada Day!