Celebrating Canadian culture in Brightwater

Every year on 1 July, Canadians all over the world celebrate Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, marking the anniversary of the Canadian Confederation in 1867.

This event brought together the colonies of United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single dominion called Canada under the British Empire.

In recognition of this occasion, Justin and Barb Frost, owners of the Sprig and Fern Brightwater, have been hosting their own Canada Day celebrations for the past three years.

“Justin is fully Canadian, and I am half Canadian, so we wanted to create a Canada Day filled with things we miss from home and iconic Canadian things,” Barb says.

“Our first Canada Day was unexpectedly busy, with everyone dressing up and having a great time so we have carried it on.”

Their celebrations feature Canadian delights such as Mott’s Clamato Caesars (a drink with a mix of tomatoes, onions, celery, and a touch of clam), Poutine (French fries with cheese curds and brown gravy), Nanaimo Bars (a dessert with layers of wafer, nut, coconut crumb base, custard icing, and chocolate ganache), and A & W Root Beer Floats (root beer with vanilla ice cream).

The venue and people were adorned in red and white, with maple leaves on faces, walls, t-shirts and napkins, along with the Canadian flag.