SASKATOON — Organizers of this year’s Canada Day festivities in the city will be launching the fireworks from Rotary Park, which will be closed to the public on July 1. The park will be cordoned off while the fireworks are set up, and no activities or programs will be held there.
Saskatoon Fireworks Festival Inc. President Shad Ali told SaskToday that no one will be allowed within the area, and the organization has made special arrangements with nearby residents, including providing them with parking passes to access their properties.
“The fireworks will be launched from there [Rotary Park], so it's dangerous for the public to be in that area, and it'll help us out a lot if people stay away. They can go up as far as River Landing 2, which is where the Gather Local Market and Ideas Inc. and all of that is,” said Ali.
“From there, they'll be able to see the fireworks, and they can come down. We've got programming all along the Riverbank coming from the pump house along River Landing 2 under the Sydney Buckwold Bridge and up to River Landing 1 amphitheatre.”
He added that they had coordinated with the Saskatoon Fire Department and the Saskatoon Police Service to use Rotary Park as a backup venue, as the Broadway Bridge is closed for renovations and the Saskatchewan River is too shallow to accommodate barges, which nearly cancelled the fireworks display.
“We’ve considered a lot of things. Number one, the size of the shells that we're firing, we're firing from lower down than when we would be on the bridge. So, we have set up a perimeter, and would only allow our personnel in the area,” said Ali.
“We are also checking the wind gusts to make sure that anything that could fall would not fall on those residences and buildings. We take every effort to protect their property, and we allow for that allowance in case there is some wind. If it is too windy, then we won’t fire.”
Ali said they will be taking some test shots before the actual show, so they can determine the height at which they can light up the fireworks, considering wind conditions, where the residue might fall, and the size of shells they can use, ensuring all necessary precautions are taken.
All activities, cultural shows, and entertainment will be moved to River Landing and KW Nasser Plaza, where people can watch and enjoy starting at noon. The food trucks will be set up at the Traffic Bridge, with some vendors opening at 11 a.m.
The Canada Day cake will be served around 7 p.m., and the fireworks show is expected to start at approximately 10 or 10:30 p.m., depending on the weather conditions. The best places to watch the show are at River Landing.
Canada Day is a federal holiday, so parking is free in areas of the city where paid parking signs are posted. However, the public is asked to either ride their bicycles, use public transportation, or walk towards River Landing to minimize vehicular traffic.
Saskatoon Transit buses will have designated drop-off and pick-up areas on Victoria Park, so people will not have to worry about driving and looking for a place to park their vehicle. For more information, visit CanadaDaySaskatoon.ca.
The city is reminding residents that pay parking stations will require payment on Monday, June 30. Free parking is only on Tuesday, July 1; however, motorists are still required to observe posted time limits. For more information on public pay parking, visit saskatoon.ca/payparking.
