Highlight: Canada turns 150

Canadians all around the world know well to enjoy the summer, and one good way is by joining a party to celebrate Canada Day on July 1st. This year is very special, as the nation marks 150 years of Confederation.

“Canadians are generally patriotic, and it really shows on Canada Day,” said William Hetherington, a journalist working in Taiwan who hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Graduate student Yannis-Adam Allouache, who hails from the nation’s capital of Ottawa, told the Taipei Times that celebrating Canada in Taiwan is a little different from that of his hometown.

“Ottawa is always the center of the Canada celebration. From the daytime concert on parliament hill to the fireworks in the late evening, thousands of people of all ages take to the streets to celebrate, walk and partake in activities downtown,” he said.

That being said, Taipei’s Canada Day celebrations typically attract a big crowd.

For the past decade, Taiwanese have joined Canadians, along with people from other nationalities for the July 1st party in Taipei, which has become the largest foreign National Day celebration in Taiwan.

This year’s “Canada 150” event will have an immense program, with Canadian food and drinks, cultural activities and live music featuring Tony Taylor and the Rockits, The Canadian All-Stars, The Last Minute Band, Twangover and Mary Bites Kerri.

Prominent club DJ Marcus Aurelius, along with The Uppitys, NeKBRACE and Cross Cutz will heat up the dancing crowd at the Ford DJ Stage, while ICRT with DJ Joey will broadcast live starting in the evening.