Swangard Stadium at Canada Day

Canada Day in Burnaby is celebrated on July 1 at Burnaby Village Museum, Edmonds Community Centre and Swangard Stadium in various ways and different times.

NOTE: Due to the novel coronavirus and efforts to contain it, Burnaby’s official Canada Day celebrations were CANCELLED for 2020. For details see the City of Burnaby‘s website.

To learn about other Lower Mainland events that have been impacted by the pandemic, click COVID-19 Vancouver Event Cancellations.

For a list of July 1st events that are still taking place, but online, see our article about 2020 Lower Mainland Virtual Canada Day Festivities.

Click any of the following to jump to a specific Burnaby Canada Day venue, or continue reading to learn about all of Burnaby’s annual Canada Day celebrations:

Burnaby Village | Edmonds Plaza | Swangard Stadium

July 1st in Burnaby

In years when they aren’t cancelled as a result of pandemics, Canada Day celebrations at Burnaby Village usually run from about 11:00 am to 4:30 pm and make for an entertaining time to visit the historic outdoor museum.

Festivities at Edmonds Plaza and Park are fairly small and simple and typically run from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm.

Celebrations at Swangard Stadium usually take place in the evening, from 5:00 to 10:00 pm, and are Burnaby’s largest and most popular July 1st event, especially for younger adults. All three events are free. Take your pick!

Canada Day at Burnaby Village

Canada Day festivities at Burnaby Village Museum were cancelled for 2020. In years when they do happen, they run from about 11:00 am until 4:30 pm and include photo opportunities, old-fashioned games, face painting, live entertainment and Canada Day birthday cupcakes. Hopefully the festivities will be able to return for 2021.

The festivities at Burnaby Village are Burnaby’s “official” Canada Day celebrations. They are free and both fun and educational. Burnaby Village Museum is also a great place to explore on a regular day, so all the extra activities make July 1st an especially fine day to visit.

Burnaby Village Main Street — Canada Day at Burnaby Village Museum

Burnaby Village Entertainment

Below is the performance schedule for July 1st at Burnaby Village in 2019. We expect 2021 details to be similar.

11:00 am – Coastal Wolf Pack
11:15 am, 2:15 pm & 3:45 pm – Rene Hugo Sanchez and Friends
11:45 am, 1:00 pm & 2:30 pm – Académie Duello
1:00 pm – Tian-Jin Temple
1:45 pm – Piper Jim Leonard
2:45 pm – Ginalina
12:45 pm – Khac Chi Bamboo Music and the Squares Barbershop Quartet
2:20 pm – Canada Day mini cupcakes

Band Stand at Burnaby Village — Burnaby Village on Canada Day

Burnaby Village is located at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue just off Canada Way at the edge of Deer Lake Park.

TIP: Deer Lake is beautiful. Take a picnic to enjoy the park either before or after visiting Burnaby Village Museum. Also take good walking shoes for a stroll around the lake, and maybe even your swimsuit for paddling at the beach.

For more information on the museum, click Burnaby Village.

For further details about the July 1st event, click Burnaby Village on Canada Day.

Canada Day at Edmonds Park — Canada Day outside Edmonds Community Centre

Canada Day at Edmonds Plaza

Canada Day in the Plaza at Edmonds Community Centre was also cancelled for 2020. In years when it does take place, the event is a fairly simple affair. The festivities take place outdoors at 7433 Edmonds Street and include various family-friendly things like bingo, face painting and craft-making activities.

At the Edmonds Community Centre event you can expect live entertainment by local community performers, birthday cake and young families from the local area. Running from around 11:00 in the morning until about 2:30 in the afternoon, it’s not a large or fancy event, but it’s free and nice and convenient for locals with children.

Activities on July 1 include live entertainment, face painting for kids, birthday cake and various family-friendly activities. There is also usually a Loonie Swim indoors at the rec centre from around 11:00 am until 4:00 pm. The cost for that, not surprisingly, is $1 per person.

Exact details for the 2021 celebrations are to be determined.

Family Fun Zone at Swangard Stadium — Canada Day at Swangard Stadium

Canada Day at Swangard Stadium

Swangard Stadium is where the after-party to the Canada Day festivities elsewhere in Burnaby takes place (at least in years when things don’t get cancelled).

Located at 3883 Imperial Street (where Boundary Road and Kingsway meet), the free Swangard Stadium event usually runs from 6:00 to 10:00 pm and features free concerts and a fireworks display.

Typically gates open at 5:00 pm, the concerts start at 6:30 and the fireworks begin at dusk.

The 2019 performance schedule for the Swangard Stadium event was the following. We expect 2021 details to be similar.

6:15 pm – Coco Jafro
7:05 pm – Nuela Charles
8:45 pm –Stars
10:00 pm – Fireworks

Coco Jafro Singing on Stage — Coco Jafro in Concert

TIP: Swangard Stadium is located at the northwest corner of Burnaby’s beautiful Central Park. Arrive early for the event to improve your chances of finding parking, and then go explore the park’s forested trails. Take a picnic, and maybe even your swimsuit for a swim in the Central Park outdoor pool, which has a Loonie Swim from 6 to 7:30 pm on Canada Day.