These Are The Best Canada Day Fireworks Across The Country

This year Canada turns 152, and if the fireworks are your favourite part of the holiday, you know it’s necessary to have a plan, because you, along with your whole city, is probably going to be watching. Most shows start at around 10 p.m. after a full day of festivities, from a giant cake that feeds more than 2,000 people in Montreal to a BeaverTails-eating contest in Collingwood. (How Canadian can we get?) Here, our picks for the best Canada Day fireworks displays across the country.

If you feel like being EXTRA patriotic this Canada Day, you can celebrate it in the capital. Ottawa hosts the country’s biggest July 1 celebration on Parliament Hill with live music from Kaytranada, K’Naan, and Coeur de Pirate. Fireworks will be launched from Nepean Point at 10 p.m. and last for 15-minutes. Locals know that the Hill is not the best spot to watch from; instead, head to a spot on the Ottawa River, Major’s Hill Park or central loop of Confederation Boulevard. Everything is free to attend.

Starting at 4 p.m., there are a bunch of free activities for kids, live entertainment, a feet of food trucks, and more. Fireworks top the night at 10 p.m. Admission is free, but you have to register here.

Head to the beach early on July 1 at day to secure a prime watching spot. The fireworks display begins at dusk.

Canada’s Wonderland launches fireworks at 11 different locations across the park, beginning at 10 p.m. This means you can watch the works from the top of the Leviathan or while munching a funnel cake. Fireworks are included in the cost of admission for $39.99.

Blue Mountain has a busy schedule of Canada Day events all weekend, including a Canadian-themed scavenger hunt and hike, and a BeaverTails-eating contest. (Sign us up!) Fireworks top off the weekend at 10:15 p.m. on July 1. All events are free — just show up at Blue Mountain Village in your red and white.

Montreal plans to take the cake with a huge turnout for their annual Canada Day celebration. We mean that literally. The festivities at Old Port include a giant cake sliced into 2,000 to 2,500 portions. In addition to a 21-gun salute at noon and a traditional raising of the flag at 1 p.m., there’s a fireworks display at 10 p.m. The best spots to watch the show are along the Old Port’s historic waterfront. Everything is free, including the cake.

As the city prepares for Calgary Stampede beginning July 5, it still has major plans for Canada Day before it transitions to rodeo mode. Beginning at 11 p.m., the fireworks are set off against a background of the Calgary skyline, and you can find some prime viewing spots in Tom Campbell’s Hill Park, Nose Hill Park, and Valleyview Park.

The fireworks over the North Saskatchewan River begin at 11 p.m. and are free to view but, you will want to get a spot at one of the river valley parks early to secure a strategic spot.

Launched off two barges in Coal Harbour, these fireworks attract a mob of red and white. You can pay for tickets in the Skyllen Pacific Fireworks Viewing Zone at Canada Place ($15) or you can watch for free from Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, the West Vancouver Seawall, Crab Park, or Harbour Green Park.

The Canada Day revelry begins with pancake breakfasts in both Dartmouth and Halifax, a parade, and a military highlander performance at the historic Citadel Hill. The official waterfront fireworks happen at the Village Shops at Dartmouth Crossing at 10 p.m. You can see the fireworks from almost any location in both Halifax and Dartmouth as long as you are facing the waterfront.

Kelowna’s Canada Day festival includes a Taste of Canada food fair with 18 different vendors and a Made in Canada Marketplace showcasing locally made pieces. Fireworks launch from the centre of Okanagan Lake in front of Waterfront Park and Tugboat Bay Beach at 10:30. Admission is free — and there’s cake.

Kingston offers the perfect mix for people who want to be active on the holiday and those who just want to enjoy a picnic by the sun. Canada Day starts with the annual Limestone Mile race at 9 a.m. (Register here.) There's a parade at 11:30 and fireworks at 10 p.m.