Canada’s 155th birthday is going to be an exceptionally big bash this year with festivities returning to Mitford Park on July 1st, 2022.  

Erika Richards, president of Cochrane & Area Events Society (CAES) says they are very happy to have Canada Day festivities return to one location back at Mitford Park saying, “It’s Canada Day and despite all the issues and problems and stuff, we do come together, we are a family, we are a community and it’s time we got out and visited with each other again. And just having it all in one location again, last year we were spread out everywhere and that was fun, but it just didn’t have that same feeling that Mitford offers us.” 

A taste of what CAES has planned for entertainment? Richards says, “We’ve got a great lineup we’ve got the Chinook Line Dancers, Cool Choir Cochrane, Ready Set Bro, Backroad Traveller Band, Justine Vandergrift, and The Contraband out of Calgary plus, we’re having a dance party.” 

There will also be kid’s games, inflatables, activity centres, a petting zoo with pony rides, over a dozen food trucks, the Half Hitch Brewing Company beer tent plus a whole lot more. Naturally, the day's activities will close with a bang with the fireworks show sponsored by Debbie Leah and Associates.  

A couple of years ago, Richards says, “We had a rugby match, and that sort of set the trend for us and now we want to have a sporting event to open Canada Day.” So, new for 2022, there will be a Quidditch match kicking things off at 12:30 p.m. at the Mitford sports field. Richards says, “We're so excited that they are coming. My little grandson might even come down from Edmonton, he is so excited to hear there's Quidditch going on, so it's going to be so much fun.”  

Something that started in 2019 and will make a return this year is the community showcase. Richards says, “It just gives local groups a chance to come out and set up a tent and meet the people of Cochrane and let them know what our community has to offer.” The Cochrane Activettes will be at the community showcase and they will be accepting cash donations on that day for the food bank as there is no capacity to accept food donations.  

As for transportation and parking, Southland shuttles and Colt will be available, so Cochranites don’t have to drive to Mitford Park. Richards says, “But also, we're getting a bike valet service and bike parking. Organizers are showing they are environmentally conscious by providing organic bins for waste. They are hoping that residents will sort their garbage into proper bins whether it be garbage, organics, or cans and bottles. The money collected for the bottles and cans will go to the food bank.  

CAES is putting out the call for volunteers. Richards says, “We are desperately looking for, as we are every year, volunteers. We have links on our bio page on Instagram and also on our Facebook page and on our website at cochranevents.ca. We have signup.com and you can click on that and go in and find a job you know. All the positions are posted, all the times, all the descriptions.”  

Organizers are pulling out all the stops for Canada Day 2022, Richards says, “It's our 155th birthday and we've been locked up for two years, so I'm calling it our Freedom 155.”