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Port's Canada Days starts Friday

It's all happening a few days before Canada's official birthday on July 1, but this weekend's Canada Days celebration in Port Clements promises to be filled with family fun.The event gets underway Friday evening (June 25) with a ribbon-cutting at the large dock, which was completely renovated last year and is getting a new name, the "Rainbow Wharf". The ribbon will be cut at 5:45 pm, said deputy administrator Jasmine Ryland, and the children's fishing derby starts right after that. The annual fun derby is open to all kids under 15 (saltwater licence required) and there are lots of prizes. There will also be free hot dogs and other refreshments.While you're at the dock, you can vote for your favourite community garden in the "Bloomin' in Port Clements" contest. The community gardens are all maintained by volunteers, and photos of the different flower patches will be on display.Saturday starts off with a pancake breakfast at the community park (8:30 am), and then the two-day slowpitch tournament gets underway at 9 am. The traditional Canada Day parade marches through the village at 10:30 am (assemble at Dyson and Bayview at 10 am if you want to take part - all are welcome).There will be two exhibition soccer games to watch on Saturday at the community park field: Queen Charlotte-Skidegate vs. Masset at 11 am, and Gwaii United vs the GM Dawson girls at 1 pm. There's a Tai Chi demo at 11:30 am, and kids games from 12:30 pm until 2 pm.Sunday (June 27) starts off with another pancake breakfast at 8:30 am, and more slowpitch action. From 9 am on, there will be a new event, fun volleyball, open to everyone.The final Canada Days event is Port's unique Mud Bog races, which will take place in the mud pit just past the soccer field starting at 1 pm on Sunday. Spectators will be treated to the sight of dozens of loud vehicles of all shapes and sizes plowing through the specially-designed mud bog track. An excavator will be standing by to extract any trucks that get trapped in the muck. This event is organized by the QCI Off Road Club. There's more information in an insert in this Observer.Canada Days in Port Clements. Don't miss it!