Out & About #821 | Canada Day celebrations + Streetsville Fireworks

July 1st is our national holiday. It also signifies the midway mark of the year, very much in a "How did we get here?" sense.

​Hosting a barbecue is a tradition in many households, including my own. And even without coal stones, you can bet on a feast of some sort, along with playing of the national anthem and nonstop waving of our beloved red maple. (Did you know our flag was my favourite to draw in elementary geography? No other flag was nearly as simple, nor as memorable.)

While cleaning my desk, I discovered some ancient tattoo stickers fitting for the occasion, and flagged them (no pun intended) for later use. They turned out less tacky than desired, transferring from paper to skin with much difficulty then smearing and fading shortly afterwards.

​Our BBQ assortment comprised of a fresh romaine and spinach salad with tomatoes and cucumbers (and thousand island dressing from scratch!), spicy, cheese-filled sausages, and, of course, steak - in both slabs and bite-sized pieces.

​Paired alongside this assortment were a shrimp cocktail ring from Costco and the last of crinkle cut fries from our Church's Chicken order.

​Truthfully, the sausages were too peppery for my tastebuds, though had its heat partially extinguished with the help of moisture-packed cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and creamy dollops of tangy thousand island. Despite being unapologetically unfond of salad dressing, cream-based variations are an exception. Excessively greasy (oil-based) or acidic (vinegar-containing) styles ought be banished for the wellbeing of humankind.

Post-dinner plans involved a fireworks excursion with the sleepy polar bear, who had forgotten the details of our arrangement entirely until being prompted. Utterly unimpressed, I was close to calling it off altogether at first. But we went anyways, me after some assuaging and persuasion.

With mask mandates lifted and majority of world reinstated to pre-COVID conditions (read: crowded, unmasked conditions), I hadn't been keen to undertake the extravagant volumes of Celebration Square. ​Instead, I had proposed Streetsville, which was closer to home and more convenient in terms of logistics.
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​We arrived in the Cagneys plaza to find ample spots in the asphalt lot. An incredulous line snaked out from the nearby Tim Hortons, from which I had intended for no other than use of their grimy washroom facilities. Striding along Queen Street, we made our way towards the Streetsville Village Square, catching sight of some of the festivities along the way.

​A series of performances was wrapping up as we stepped foot on the cobblestone property. Yet, the area was packed. From nearby booths, participants could obtain glow-in-the-dark bands, temporary tattoos, and even teesy pins of the Canadian flag. Another exciting element was a complimentary photobooth with all-too-familiar red-and-white head accessories - half of which we too had acquired from Dollarama in years prior.

As the skies began to adopt a cotton candy gradient, the Streetsville Marching Band commenced their performance. The white uniformed members could barely be seen amidst the crowd, so we opted to reposition ourselves for a better view. The song concluded, and the national anthem rang clear. Our flag was raised proudly as veterans stood tall before it.

​The Streetsville Marching Band would then lead the group to Streetsville Memorial Park.
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Nearing the area, brief spurts of fireworks were witnessed against the gradually dimming sky. Our final destination was the Vic Johnston Community centre, where an ice cream truck and many more event participants had readied themselves, the latter on lawn chairs for optimal comfort.

​We were elated to find live performances by a local rock band to ease us into the evening hours. They were spectacular, and before we knew it, it was ten minutes to 10 PM.
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Leading up to the day was a forecasted thunderstorm. As such, I had hoped for an absence of precipitation and thunder, at least until fireworks had concluded. Thankfully, Mother Nature was in our nation's favour: we were blessed with dry grounds and balmy breeziness.

Countless tracks were enjoyed from our second row-ish spot. Concluding the band's stellar performances was none other than O Canada, along with a district-specific "Streetsville! Streetsville! Streetsville!" chant.

​Never in my life had I seen fireworks in such close proximity. They were colourful, multi-toned bursts that extended well over our heads, extending into the night sky as the next meandered upwards. The arrangements were varied and, most importantly, unobstructed by buildings or other fixtures.

​Admittedly, my neck began to tire after some period of constantly gazing upward. Yet, I was more than glad at having chosen Streetsville over Square One. The climate was fabulous - comfortable without excess humidity and there was not a single intrusive body in my 3m radius, because personal space is important!

​Especially notable were the background tracks that played simultaenously: beyond a mashup of top tracks from Canadian artists was a Mississauga-exclusive verse listing out our city's neighbourhoods in a modern, upbeat fashion.

Around the 10:30 PM mark, the show had concluded. Making our way back, we saw vehicles attempt a chaotic departure from a small lot off Church Street, and heaved a sigh of relief knowing that our parking choice boasted the option of a back entrance.
​he second sigh of relief came raindrops began to fall on the windshield, just as we queued for plaza departure.

​The summer season had led Nani's Gelato to extend their hours for evening ice cream-goers. As such, we navigated towards the establishment with a penchant for dessert.

​A single member of staff was spotted outside, notifying customers of their pending closing time. If we were fortunate enough, the team within would "continue scooping", but otherwise only pints would be available for purchase.

​Ontario Strawberry in a Kids Cone materialized in my hands some five minutes later, along an enormous Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie. The addition of ice cream sandwiches to their menu has brought up a tub of giant cookies, which could be purchased individually at the affordable price point of two dollars.

​Chocolate chip content was a tad lacking, for the decadent bits were concentrated at its centre rather than being dispersed uniformly throughout. The presence of sea salt was discernible, yet could be more prominent for greater contrast. Dough-wise, the cookie was sturdy with a faint crunch - ideal for encasing gelato, but perhaps less ideal for casual snacking. Nonetheless, I appreciated it as one of the few cookies on the market that had diverged from a soft-baked profile.

​Highly anticipated had been the Ontario Strawberry flavour, for it utilized seasonal local produce. The sleepy polar bear commented on streaks of strawberry jam, while I on the specks of seeds within the scoop. Both of us agreed on a sweeter composition than preferred. The waffle cone was fragrant and crunchy - a consistently good choice.