Community hosts reverse parade to celebrate Canada's birthday — minus the candy
People of Keswick Ridge won't let COVID-19 steal their Canada Day fun
Celinda Crandall spent Tuesday morning tinkering through Canada Day flags nestled away in plastic tote boxes scattered in her basement, living room and garage.
Every year, people living in Keswick Ridge organize a parade made up of large tractors, all-terrain vehicles and floats representing local businesses in celebration of Canada's birthday.
This year, residents living in the small community, almost 30 kilometres west of Fredericton, had to get extra creative.
"The coronavirus and COVID-19 has stolen so many things from us," Crandall said.
"I think it's extra important that we do something for Canada Day."
Residents are hosting a reverse parade where people can go and admire homes decorated for the country's big birthday bash — without the candy.
There will be lots of Canadian flags, streamers and red and white flowers dispersed throughout the community
"We purposely left it as wide open so people can be as creative as they want," said Crandall, who is also part of the Keswick Canada Day Celebrations committee.
Bringing pride back into the community
This year, she and her husband, Graham, have been bouncing around ideas, that went from a camping theme to a strictly a red and white theme.
Their front yard consists of a hockey stick, red flowers, a couple of red bag chairs with stuffed teddy bears wearing Canada Day shirts to "accessorize them appropriately for the day."
She brought the bears home from her classroom at Keswick Ridge School.
"We have had lots of ideas and in the typical way the Crandalls go at things, we talk about it and throw different ideas around," she said. "I let it sort of percolate in the back of my head."
Then there's always the tweaking.
"I don't know if it will ever be finished."
The houses will be on display until Saturday. People viewing the homes can vote on their favourite decorative home and there will be prizes for the winners.
Crandall is hopeful the event will bring back pride in the community and their country after being forced to stay inside for so long.
"Canada is a great place to live and we have a lot to be thankful for," she said.
Just like Christmas in July
When it comes to Rhoda Hayes's favourite holiday, it's often a toss-up between Halloween and Christmas.
When her children were younger, she would have a Christmas tree in her kitchen decorated with gingerbread men. She had a giant Christmas tree in her living room, an "ugly silver" Christmas tree in bedroom that consisted of old decorations. Then she had a Christmas tree in each of her children's bedrooms.
"I'm a hoarder with a little bit of organization," said the 58-year-old.
So it only made sense she would pick up red and white paper lanterns from the dollar store and red chairs from Home Hardware to put on display for Canada Day.
Hayes decorated at 6 a.m. Wednesday with her three-year-old granddaughter, Lily.
She had all the decor planned out in her mind earlier this week, but just needed to find the time to put everything together at her son's home, where she lives.
"If I could find a beaver, I would," she laughed.
Celebrating Canada's birthday with more bears
Jeremy Arbeau spent his 38th birthday on Tuesday by getting ready for Canada's 153rd birthday bash.
He did this by helping his wife, Ann, set up a yard display called "Teddy Bears Picnic" for the reverse parade.
Ann Arbeau didn't want to share too much about their Canada Day display because she wants people to be surprised.
But she did say the scene will consist of a family of teddy bears having a picnic, which she refers to as her volunteers.
"We're going to have a crowd on the front lawn with our display."
Since they live on the main route to get into Fredericton, the couple came up with the idea after one of their teddy bears was featured on their front lawn over the Easter weekend.
They created the site to bring joy to people driving by, who might be feeling glum during the pandemic.
She said she received many calls about the Easter scene.
"I wanted to brighten the community a little bit," she said. "I knew a lot of people in the community were in self-quarantine."
The couple is anticipating the Canada Day spectacle will bring even more joy than the last one.
"I'm hoping that it's going to be a larger than life display."
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