Kettleby celebrates Canada Day with a bang

July 3, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Aladin Jarrah
King residents made their way to the little hamlet of Kettleby to mark Canada Day.
Tyrwhitt Park, nestled in a crook of Kettleby creek, was the site of the celebration, which kicked off at 7 p.m. with 48-year-resident Howie Young manning the barbecue. Hot dogs and drinks in hand, some residents chatted together in lawn chairs while the young (and the young-at-heart) enjoyed a spontaneous game of soccer.
After a rousing rendition of the national anthem led by Catherine Hughes, Debbie Schaefer, Councillor for Ward 5, was on hand to cut Canada’s 148th birthday cake, donated by Dorio’s Bakery in the village. Councillor Avia Eek from Ward 6 was also present. Sated with hot dogs, drinks and the free cake, the crowd of over 200 settled in to watch the fireworks against a backdrop of the moonrise, a little after 9:30 p.m.
The weather cooperated, bringing a warm, still evening that was perfect for the fireworks. Pyrotechnics-certified firefighters Lee Jolliffe from King City fire station and Shayne Maglay from Schomberg fire station did the honours, lighting up the sky with a spectacular twenty-minute display that had the crowd ooh-ing and aah-ing.
“What a great gathering! It’s events like this that knit our community together into the wonderful, livable Township we are lucky to call home,” said Debbie Schaefer after the event. “And that cake was delicious, too.”
The evening was hosted by the Kettleby Village Association, and is supported in part through private donations and a grant from the Township of King. The Kettleby Canada Day Celebration has become something of a King tradition, being the only public display of Canada Day fireworks in the Township. If you missed them last week, mark it down in your calendar for next year. It’s a wonderful community event for the whole family, and the whole of King Township.