Canada Day in Belleville took on a new look this year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chamber of Commerce organized this year’s event with social distancing and safety in mind due to the province’s limit on social gatherings.
The celebration began at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Around 20 vehicles decorated in Canada Day garb lined up and pulled into the streets for the Canada Day car parade. Led by Belleville Police and Belleville Fire, the parade went through the city past residential areas and long term care facilities.
The parade featured a variety of people including people from the community who applied to join in as well as MP Neil Ellis and MPP Todd Smith.
MP Neil Ellis (left), MPP Todd Smith (Centre), and Mayor Mitch Panciuk congratulated community heroes at the Canada Day. (Photo by Ryan Peddigrew)
The parade route ended at Jane Forrester park where the day’s celebration continued.
The Belleville Chamber of Commerce asked the community to submit community heroes, meaning individuals, organizations and companies who stepped up during the pandemic and helped keep the economy active and helped people in need. These community heroes were recognized in a small ceremony in the park. Frontline workers, people who helped with PPE and others were recognized and thanked by MP Neil Ellis, MPP Todd Smith and Mayor Mitch Panciuk in front of a small socially-distanced group of people.
The groups and people who were recognized include:
– Impacto Protective Products Inc. (mask development/production)
– Trent Valley Distributors (Sanitizing products and support for non-profits)
– Dentistry by the Bay (Continued emergency dental service, operating phone triage 18 hours per day)
– Truss Beverages (Donations to Gleaners food bank and BICOP)
– Jeremy and Suzanne Braithwaite (Produced more than 10,000 face shields for Quinte Health Centre)
– Enrichment Centre for Mental Health Pandemic Team (Housed and fed vulnerable community members)
– Steve Van de Hoef – Bridge St. United Church (Co-ordinating free lunch program)
– Marcus Daley (Parmalat – Distribution centre night shift)
– Kara Hertendy (She sewed countless masks for frontline staff)
– Connie Carson (COVID-19 sewing group founder)
– Pegasus Cheer Athletics (Virtual training and wellness calls to families)
– Willowlee Sod Farms (Food sustainability initiative at Loyalist College)
– Belleville Transit team (Drivers and dispatch to keep transit available)
– GH Manufacturing Inc. (essential workers)
– International Truckload Services (essential workers)
– We Thrive Wellness Centre (transitioned to support clients virtually)
– Loyalist Martial Arts Academy (transitioned to support clients virtually)
– Best Western – Williams Hotels (housing Loyalist students/residence lockdown)
– Belleville Police Service (United Way Grocery delivery)
– Dewe’s Independent Grocer (essential workers)
Jill Raycroft, CEO of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce, spoke about how the event came together.
Raycroft also said instead of calling it a cancellation, they called it a transformation, and that the addition of a car parade to future celebrations is possible.
More photos from Belleville’s Canada Day celebration are available on the Quinte News Facebook page.
