Ashley Pater will perform during Surrey’s online Canada Day celebration this year. (submitted photo)

‘Red Sneakers’ for contest-winning musician on Surrey’s Canada Day livestream

Ashley Pater says she's excited to be back on City of Surrey Canada Day stage for third year in a row

Ashley Pater will be singing a song about red sneakers on a day when Canadians will be waving the red maple leaf.

The Surrey-raised musician has won the “Play at Home Surrey” contest to perform during the city’s Canada Day celebration, a livestream this year due to the pandemic.

Pater says she’ll sing her pop song “Red Sneakers” on July 1.

In May, she won a fan-vote contest over fellow top-three finalists Trev Conkey and the duo Velavox.

The contest winner, a Fraser Heights Secondary grad, receives a performance slot during the evening showcase, plus a $500 honorarium and $250 gift card to Central City Shopping Centre.

“I’m very excited to be back on the City of Surrey Canada Day stage for my third year in a row,” Pater told the Now-Leader.

“I’m very thankful for all my fans who continuously show their support and especially during the voting round hosted this year. I found this experience eye-opening and heartwarming as I saw the numbers growing beside my name. I am truly grateful for all the love and support I’ve received. The Canada Day celebration will be one for the books, you won’t be let down!”

Pater was recently featured in the Music City Surrey Showcase, a 10-episode look at Surrey-based artists and educators with videos co-produced by FUSIONpresents and Face the Music Entertainment.

• RELATED STORY, from 2020: Artists pull out of Surrey’s virtual Canada Day event as anti-racism petition grows.

Surrey’s Canada Day celebration starts at 6 p.m. on the Surrey Canada Day website (surrey.ca/canadaday) as a three-hour livestream, with a family-focused broadcast set to play that morning from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Four of Surrey’s annual “major events” will be held virtually this year, and one is cancelled for 2021. The city’s International Children’s Festival is postponed until 2022. Looking ahead, online-only events are planned for Canada Day, Fusion Festival and also the Nov. 21 Surrey Tree Lighting Festival. The city’s Party for the Planet was held as a virtual event on Earth Day.


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Surrey Now Leader