Important Announcement from Canada Day Barrhaven Inc.

Due to a significant loss of revenue from several sources—including, but not limited, to our Midway provider pulling out two and a half months prior to Canada Day, our Ride Jed the Bull and Rodeo Slide attractions, lower-than-expected attendance at fundraising events such as our Absolute Comedy and Live from Las Vegas Elvis Tribute Show, and especially the extremely disappointing sales of our 50/50 lottery—we have experienced a substantial financial shortfall for this year’s event.

These challenges were compounded by the unprecedented weather on Canada Day. On July 1, Barrhaven received approximately 118 mm of rainfall in just four hours, surpassing Ottawa’s previous rainfall record of 58.9 mm, set in 1959.

As a result, we regret to announce that the Canada Day in Barrhaven Fireworks Display has been cancelled, rather than postponed as we had previously hoped. This difficult decision was necessary to allow us to recover a portion of our costs from our fireworks provider and to ensure we can meet our financial obligations to the many infrastructure suppliers, contractors, entertainers, and service providers who helped make this year’s event possible.

Furthermore, due to there not being a public audience at 7:45pm on July 1st, we have put off the pulling of the winning ticket for our 50/50 draw until noon on Monday and the winner will be announced on our website at www.canadadaybarrhaven.ca .

Canada Day Barrhaven Inc. is also announcing that the corporation will not be organizing a Canada Day in Barrhaven celebration in 2027. Furthermore, none of the current Executive Directors or Committee Members will be returning to lead the event.

This was not a decision made lightly. In fact, it was made several months ago after thoughtful discussion and careful consideration. Many members of the current executive team have devoted as many as 16 years to the event during its 44-year history. Organizing a celebration of this size requires thousands of volunteer hours, significant physical labour, and a year-round commitment. As our team has grown older, many now over the age of 70, those demands have simply become too great.

Despite repeated efforts over many years to recruit new volunteers and future leaders, no group has stepped forward with the capacity to assume responsibility for organizing and operating the event.

Should a new organization wish to bring a Canada Day celebration back to Barrhaven in 2027 and take advantage of funding through the Canadian Heritage grant program, we strongly encourage forming a not-for-profit corporation before September 2026, making the organization eligible to apply for grant funding when applications open in October.

Finally, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible, though small, group of dedicated volunteers of all ages who have worked tirelessly over the years to bring this celebration to life for the enjoyment of thousands of residents. Their passion, commitment, and countless hours of service have made Canada Day in Barrhaven one of the community’s most cherished traditions.

It has truly been an honour and a privilege to work alongside such remarkable people in serving this amazing community.

Without a new generation of volunteers willing to step forward and take on the leadership and workload required, this year’s celebration may mark the end of a remarkable 44-year tradition.

To our volunteers, sponsors, performers, vendors, community partners, elected officials, emergency services personnel, and the tens of thousands of residents who have celebrated with us over the past 44 years—thank you.

Your support, generosity, and enthusiasm transformed a community event into a beloved Barrhaven tradition. We are immensely proud of what we accomplished together, and we will always be grateful for the memories, friendships, and community spirit that Canada Day in Barrhaven created.

Thank you for allowing us the privilege of serving this wonderful community.

While this chapter is coming to a close, we sincerely hope a new generation of community leaders and volunteers will one day revive this celebration so that future families can continue the proud tradition of celebrating Canada Day together in Barrhaven. We wish them every success and stand ready to offer whatever advice and guidance we can to help make that happen.

Darrell Bartraw

President, Canada Day Barrhaven Inc.