Dear Editor,
Yes, Ottawa is putting on a grand party July 1, and why not, it is our 150th birthday, and there will be lots to see and do. You will jostle with tens of thousands of people to find parking. When finished marching to where you are going, you’re hungry and the line-up is longer than the traffic jam in a snowstorm on the Queensway. Washrooms, let’s not go there and say we did.
What are your alternatives? Well, for one, the village of Russell is having Canada Day celebrations. Yup, the Russell Lions and the Russell Agricultural Society coordinate the event with other community volunteers.
What can you do? Enjoy breakfast at the Legion, and watch or join the parade (beginning at 10:30 a.m.) from St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School to the fairgrounds. There will be motorcycles and antique cars in the parade, and kids of all ages are invited to ride their bicycles. Watch the magic show, get your face painted, play in a corn box or bouncy castle, enter a team in the volleyball tournament or tug-of-war, and wet your whistle while listening to local bands Charlie the Kid, Odd Man Out and Front End. Best of all, enjoy the day with your friends and neighbours in your own community. Oh, let’s not forget the fireworks at dusk at the Russell High School.
The events are free of charge, thanks to the Government of Canada, Russell Township, the Police Village of Russell, the Russell Lions Club, the Russell Agricultural Society, and your generous donations.
While on that subject, your donations help to put on this event. This year our fireworks are costing us approximately $9,500 as opposed to $6,500 so please support us generously. See you there!
Chris Olney
Russell
