Hip, hip, hooray! And throw in a double yay! It’s the first real long weekend of summer coming up, and this year Canada Day (that’s July 1, for all you come-from-away visitors) falls right on the holiday Monday. On top of that, for the first time in a while Whistler’s Canada Day parade is back in real style so you can’t help but cheer, or at least cheer up.
After a four-year hiatus, the resort is revving up to host one of the coolest celebrations that captures the imaginations of visitors and locals alike. What’s hopefully back as an annual event is here to stay—the Canada Day parade and celebrations. (I like how Councillor Ralph Forsyth described it in an earlier Pique article: “The ‘great alchemy’ of Whistler that is guests and locals, intermingling, doing things we all enjoy.”)
Best of all, this year’s event has been given a good, solid re-think so it includes local First Nations’ input along with consideration of our most pressing existential challenge in mind.
Staff at the beautiful Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre have been part of the planning process, plus this year, for the first time, participants are preparing for a real people-powered, no-heavy-infrastructure, no-motorized-vehicles event in light of the climate crisis. Colourful floats are definitely still part of it all. But this year, think pedal power, e-bikes, human power—you name it—to generate power sans fossil fuels, with imagination and creativity taking front and centre stage.
I can’t wait! Rain or shine, it’s going to be a blast. And given the July 1 weekend, which pretty much flows right into July 4 celebrations, given all our U.S. visitors, the first weekend of July pretty much turns into summer-party-central for Whistler and much of the Sea to Sky.
But if you’re one of those locals who likes to pick up, pack up and get away from it all, I’ve got you covered, too. Hopefully, you’re on the no-heavy-infrastructure, no-motorized-vehicles vibe as you head out for your summer fun—or at least you go-low as much as you can. After all, the whole concept behind a vacation is to “get away” from normal, so why not take the opportunity to explore some low-footprint ways of living you might not usually do.
Youth Time Magazine, an online platform run for and by young people, has a great list of tips on how to have a greener vacay. How about buying that swimsuit or camping gear second-hand at your favourite thrift store, like Whistler’s Re-Use-It Centre?
Stay out of those planes, and try re-thinking your destinations and how to get there with the least amount of fossil fuel. Would a bike trip do? Or sharing a co-op car, ideally an electric one, with your buddies?
Resist all those fluffy white towels and opt out of hotel-room cleaning. (We didn’t take it once during our recent two-weeker in Ottawa. It was cool.) Or at least cut way back: Think of all the power it takes to dry those dang towels! And think about that sunscreen… is it safe for our pristine waterways?
Wherever you go, eat local. After all, that’s half the reason you’re getting “away”—to experience life the way the locals do. As for your “eat local” routine here, think Canadian all the way, for Canada Day and beyond.
It’s been a crazy long, cool spring, so local fruits and veggies are slow to the markets, but they’re starting to show up. Look for B.C., especially Sea to Sky, labels first. Try some local smoked salmon in your day pack or picnic. And if you’re totally into an easy-peasy, all-Canadian, vegetarian version of hot dogs or that classic, beanies and weans (that’s wienies and beans, for all you non-prairie folks) give my little recipe here a try. It’s fast, tasty, easy, and so good for you and all that great Canadian nature we love.
As for Whistler’s Canada Day celebrations, here’s my best insider tip—the kids’ pedal parade is absolutely the cutest thing of all.
Happy Canada Day!
BEST CANUCK CAMPFIRE BEANS EVER
You can prep this at home before you go and take it along or, better, heat it over a tiny fire in an old blackened pot just like our grandaddies used to do.
Grab a tin of Yves Veggie Cuisine Black Beans and a package of Yves Hot ‘n Spicy Veggie Dogs. Trust me—they really aren’t that spicy, and taste way better than the regular ones. (Great for hot dogs, too, or snacking any time, like you’re chewing on a big Havana cigar!) Dump the beans, liquid and all, into a pot. Slice in as many veggie dogs as you like, along with a handful of diced onion and fresh red or green pepper. We like to add in a good half teaspoon of cumin and ground coriander, too. Or dress it up as you like. Bring it all to a soft boil and let it simmer about 10 minutes, until the onions are cooked and the flavours mingle. Delicious—and hearty—straight out of the pot or over bread or toast.
Best of all, Yves products are plant-based and still Canadian-made. The company was started in Vancouver in 1985 by Yves Potvin, who first landed in Vancouver on a $200 bike after riding 5,000-plus kilometres from Montreal. Paul McCartney, who’s been vegetarian since the ’70s, loves Yves veggie dogs so much he made the company the official supplier for all his concerts, starting in 1993. Mr. Potvin never looked back... But in 2002, he did sell Yves Cuisine to U.S.-based health and wellness giant, Hain Celestial.
Glenda Bartosh is an award-winning journalist who’s been a fan of Yves veggie dogs for decades.
