Another Ontario community cancels Canada Day celebrations
A Canada Day celebration that has a history stretching back 45 years in an Ontario town won’t be happening this year.
The group that usually presents the July 1 festivities in Milton, west of Toronto, said rising costs and the declining number of volunteers led to the cancellation.
This is the second community in Ontario to pull the plug on Canada Day in 2025.
The Halton Agricultural Society, which took over Canada Day at the Milton Fairgrounds three years ago, broke the news on its website, saying it regrets the decision but cannot continue.
“Like many other not-for-profit, volunteer-run organizations, we have been facing a decline in volunteers and resources over the past few years,” the message reads. “Due to the operational capacity and low membership of our small society, it is no longer feasible to continue to safely execute such a large-scale event. This has not been an easy decision to make, as we know that many families have attended this event for generations and look forward to it every year. We are grateful for the many members of our community who have attended and supported the Canada Day event throughout the years.”
In the past, Canada Day in Milton included games, food vendors, musicians and contests. The night was capped off with a large display of fireworks.
Although community partners have provided financial assistance, HAS said the donations haven’t kept pace with the rising costs of fireworks, security, policing and entertainment.
“The event has still been operating at a significant loss over the last few years,” the message continues. “In addition to the financial constraints, we do not have enough volunteers to safely and effectively execute an event that sees the fairgrounds host over 10,000 people throughout the day.”
Canada Day events have been operated by service clubs, community groups and volunteers in Milton since the late 1970s, but have run into similar difficulties and other disruptions over the years.
The Halton Agricultural Society took over the festival in 2022 following a two-year absence due to the pandemic. The group is also responsible for the Milton Fall Fair, an event it has managed since 1854. HAS also owns the fairgrounds, which will now be closed on July 1.
Canada Day celebrations have now been cancelled in two Greater Toronto Area communities.
Last month, the Mississauga lakefront area of Port Credit said it would not hold its Paint the Town Red event on July 1 this year due to economic concerns.
As is the case with the Port Credit group, HAS said it would revisit the decision to host Canada Day in 2026 if more sponsorship and community support can be found.
However, HAS said its situation is not unique, acknowledging that community groups across Ontario are in a similar position of cutting back while struggling to survive without community support.
By Steve Pecar, insauga
