It was an extra special Canada Day for Nakusp Fire Department chief Terry Warren and his 28 staff.
Approximately 50 people from businesses and organizations lined up outside the Nakusp Community Park on July 1 to participate in a parade, which started at 11 a.m. and made its away along 8th Ave NW, through town and back along West Broadway.
Parade participants spent an hour honking and waving to residents, who were mostly standing outside their houses to follow government physical distancing protocols.
“It feels really good to be here. The public has been behind us all the way,” said Warren. “We have a really good crew now and I’m extremely proud that this is the 100th anniversary of our fire department.”
There were six fire trucks driving along the parade route this year. Other participants were volunteers from the Arrow Lakes Health Care Auxiliary (HCA), who decked out a vintage van in Canada Day decorations.
A Canada Day parade is underway in Nakusp. pic.twitter.com/0nMLlxdo7E
— Connor Trembley (@ConnorTrembley) July 1, 2020
“We have our beloved 1987 Volkswagen Westfalia in the event this year. It tries to get in the parade every year in some way or another,” said HCA president Georgia O’Brien. “This will be the vehicle’s fifth time in the parade.”
A giant “be calm” sign was on the side of the vehicle and all the HCA volunteers in the parade wore face masks for health precautions.
Staff from KBR Campground, a local business in Nakusp, got creative for their parade float this year.
“We put five logs together on our trailer to make a little teepee,” said KBR staff member Brandon Dodd.
“We also have have some red paper to make it look like we have a fire. We basically just set it up to make it look like we were camping.”
Approximately nine or 10 volunteers from the Society for Nakusp Community Events helped to make the parade a reality this year.
Society secretary treasurer Christy Dodd said multiple safety precautions were taken to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 during the event.
“We asked for people in the parade not to throw candy out to anyone in the crowd. We also reminded people to physically distance when they were outside watching the parade. We also asked people stay with their close family members or coworkers on each float.”
Similar Canada Day celebrations also took place in Rossland and other West Kootenay communities.
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