I hope that you all enjoyed your Canada Day wherever you happened to find yourselves. If you used my Canada 150 pattern to make a banner for the celebration, send pictures of it in action!
Here in Ontario on Canada Day the trickiest part was staying dry! This was the case in London, Ontario where I celebrated with good friends Michelle Minielly of Parkhill and Shirley Bobier of Coldstream.
Historic Eldon House
We attended the ‘Party Like it is 1867’ celebration at London’s oldest home, historic Eldon House which is located on a bluff right above the Thames River where the fireworks were to take place later that evening. We’d also brought a picnic super to share on the Eldon House grounds.
Eldon House is a magnificent 1830’s frame home that was built for the Harris family. Members of the Harris family continued to live there until 1959 before leaving the home and it’s belongings to the City of London. Currently, it’s covered by scaffolding as the siding is being refurbished. It’s quite amazing to find such a splendidly appointed building with so many original artifacts still gracing the interior. You could just imagine handsome officers of the Militia courting the 5 Harris daughters or Colonel Thomas Talbot visiting.
Treats and Skits
By the time we finished our tour the rain had stopped. We enjoyed complimentary treats like cake, lemonade and fancy sandwiches, available on the grounds and in the interpretive center, while enjoying a pleasant variety (i.e. no rock music) of live Canadian music and skits put on by actors in ‘historical’ garb.
Central to the theme of the skits held outdoors were the Fenian Raids, when small bands of Irish crossed into Canada from the United States in order to capture Canada in exchange for Irish independence. The Fenians never did get as far as London, Ontario but they were at Eldon House on Canada Day, 2017!
Fireworks at Harris Park
The crowds at Harris Park were growing throughout the day and there were plenty of activities available for the public between there and the Covent Garden Market. It seemed like the better part of the city was jammed into the downtown area.
But in the end, the sky darkened over Harris Park and the crowd was able to enjoy a great conclusion to Canada’s 150th Birthday!
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