Capitol Theatre, Chamber team up to bring Nelson Canada Day Celebration
By Nelson Daily Staff
Thanks to COVID-19, Canada Day is going to look a little, okay, a lot, different in the Land of the Great White North, including Nelson.
The safety of the public and current physical distancing directives by BC Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry means the traditional Canada Day celebrations coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce at Lakeside Park in Nelson, which attracts thousands of people during the day, will not take place.
Which is why the Capitol Theatre and the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide the community with a very special Cultural Canada Day 2020 celebration.
This online streaming event brings together community spokespeople and talented performers in a tribute to our country and one another.
The hour-long event can be viewed on the Capitol Theatre YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram at 10 a.m. on (Wednesday) July 1st.
Organizers have enlisted performers Jonny Pountina (Les Dancing Legs), Pat Henman & Sydney Black (Black Productions), Petunia Rae (Circus Acts Insomniacs), Anne DeGrace, Diana Morita Cole, as well as a light show.
Métis elder Donna Wright will perform and opening and closing drumming ceremony.
Speakers include Capitol Board Chair Claire Hallam, Arrow Lakes Cultural Facilitator for the Coleville Confederated Tribes Shelly Boyd, and, as is the tradition, Mayor John Dooley will cut the cake.
This is a flagship event for the Capitol Theatre, and everyone involved is very excited to kick off this new innovation to provide a cultural Canada Day for everyone from the Capitol Theatre stage.
“We wanted to create a unique event to celebrate Canada’s153rd Birthday,” said Capitol Theatre organizer Stephanie Fischer, who along with Tom Thomson at the Chamber of Commerce are delighted with the partnership.
“The online option for this year’s celebration is a close as we can get to the real live event and experience,” adds Fischer.
“We hope people will enjoy it as much as we did putting it together, and really feel the celebration of our community, and each other.”
Nelson’s cultural community hub, The Capitol Theatre, has been quiet these past two few months; live performances in front of an audience of 400 people is simply not possible due to current public health and safety measures.
The theatre is working to develop alternate ways to deliver performance-based culture.
Fisher said this year’s fall Season Series will primarily feature local and regional professional and emerging artists performing for 50 patrons at a time with a livestream component allowing people to also watch online.
It’s one of many ways the Capitol Theatre is adapting to safely inspire and entertain.
