Belleville’s Canada Day and Waterfront Festival going ahead, but with changes

Belleville’s Canada Day festivities and Waterfront and Multicultural Festival will be taking on a different look this year, since large gatherings are still not allowed, under pandemic-related restrictions.

But at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Belleville Chamber of Commerce CEO Jill Raycroft said those two big summer events will still be going ahead, with some changes that “capture the essence of each event”.

Raycroft says the parade won’t be a traditional route, or feature big floats and large crowds, but they’ll be working with community partners to put it together and make it safe and enjoyable for everyone.

She added that as far as the passport take-out plan goes, most of the restaurants taking part are already following proper provincially-mandated guidelines and are prepared for the business, with any other vendors who end up taking part also having to fall in line with those.

Panciuk says he’s also hopeful that in the next few weeks there will be more “good news” announcements to come, as far as other events and facilities that can be reopened.