Canada’s 150th birthday is nearly two years away, but local organizations are already planning for a 10-day celebration in 2017.
More than 25 agencies, including the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association, Tourism Nanaimo, Nanaimo Port Authority and the city, met recently to strike up an organizing committee to come up with ideas for the celebration and start attracting participants.
“It’s early in the game, but we want it to be an amazing event when it happens,” said Diana Johnstone, Canada 150 board co-chairwoman.
Johnstone said Nanaimo needs to plan big and one of her ideas is to draw major performers for a music festival and hopes to get Diana Krall and Elvis Costello behind the idea, so they can help draw major names to the festival, but there are also other events and activities that need to be organized.
The Canada 150 board, which is being administered by the business improvement association, has already set up a committee tasked with fundraising for the events through community initiatives and is already working on grant proposals, but organizers are also calling out to businesses, sport and community organizations to get involved and sponsor, donate or volunteer.
“If Duncan can pull off Sunfest and bring in those huge, big names, why can’t we do it?” Johnstone asked. “We just have to think big.”
To learn more, please contact Johnstone at 250-754-9996, e-mail diandjack@shaw.ca, or Wally Wells, Canada 150 board co-chairman, at 250-741-9887, e-mail wells@live.ca.