10 Active Ways To Celebrate #Canada150 In Nova Scotia

Today I’m participating in an ECM Blog Hop for #Canada150. After you read my post be sure to click over to some of the other blog posts linked at the bottom for more fun Canada 150 content!

This summer is a big one for Canada, as our lovely country is turning 150 on July 1st! You can be sure that come Canada Day there will be no shortage of ways for you and your family to celebrate our nation’s birthday, but I thought it would be fun to do something a little different. Today I’m going to share 10 ideas for ways you can celebrate #Canada150 right here in Nova Scotia! For all my readers outside of the province, most of these will work for you too. 🙂

1. Plan a Canada Day Hike

There is no shortage of trails in Nova Scotia, and really, what better way to enjoy our beautiful country on it’s birthday than by enjoying it’s beauty on a trail walk or hike.

From wooded trails, hikes to magnificent beaches and look-offs,

to flat, and sometimes even paved trails, regardless of your activity level, you can find a trail that will be perfect for you!

2. Head out on the water boating, kayaking or stand up paddleboarding.

I talk about it all the time so it should be no surprise this makes my list. Those few hours Cathy and I spent out on the paddleboards were some of the quietest, most peaceful moments of last summer.

My only regrets from that day are that a) we didn’t take more sunscreen with us, and b) we didn’t take any snacks, haha. We got so hungry! But if you packed a picnic lunch it would be so amazing to sit out in the water with your friends and/or family and take in the day while leaving all your cares on land to just stop and enjoy.

Perfection.

3. Visit Peggy’s Cove (or the nearby but less known Polly’s Cove)

I expect Peggy’s Cove will be a hot spot for many on Canada Day weekend, but it’s still on my list. Not only is the scenery amazing (I still can’t believe last year was the first time I visited!), but there is just something magical about the place. Those rocks, the lighthouse, the little shops. And if Peggy’s Cove is too crowded and you want to lose the crowds, you can take a short hike to Polly’s Cove which is nearby and enjoy what appears to be every bit as spectacular, but completely different experience.

I haven’t been to Polly’s Cove but very much would like to now that I have seen some beautiful photos taken there.

4. Cape Breton/The Cabot Trail

Here’s another item on my Nova Scotia to-do list. I’ve been to Cape Breton a few times, once when I was too young to remember much, and again last year for the Meghan Trainor concert which barely counts as I was there such a short time. But there is not much that can compare to the beauty of Cape Breton. From Ingonish,

photo credit – Jenna

To Baddeck,

photo credit – Jenna

and the classic scenes from the Cape Breton Highlands,

Photo credit – Zoe

There is so much to explore in Cape Breton, you can spend the whole long weekend here!

Here are a few blog posts from my friends on their trips to Cape Breton if you need more ideas:

A Fall Weekend in Cape Breton

Cape Breton Family Fun

5. Participate in a Canada Day Fun Run (or walk)!

There were a few Canada Days in a row that I celebrated by participating in Canada Day runs and had a fab time.

Well, maybe not always a fab time…

Crazy hard downpours, crazy wind, and my poor sad umbrella….

but an interesting time none the less, haha. And the fun thing about Canada day races? They almost always have Canada Day cake waiting for you at the finish line. This year, Epic Canadian in Dartmouth has a whole series of races in place for the Canada Day long weekend, with Canada 150 swag to boot! And even though I’m no longer running, I decided to participate in the virtual races right here at home! That’s right! You can register for one (or more) of the weekend’s races and complete them right at home. I’m excited because this way I can go for a walk to earn my swag, and can do my walk in the evenings instead of having to travel to the city to be there at a certain time.

I’m not sure when registration closes, but as I’m sitting here writing this, you can still register. If Dartmouth is too far for you, or the virtual race isn’t your thing, check out your local town recreation departments, I’m sure you’ll find one near you!

6. A Day At The Beach/Shore!

Peggy’s Cove is beautiful but it is busy. However, we are lucky to have lots and lots of options when it comes to shores here in Nova Scotia. Pack a couple of bags for picnic lunches (and maybe some goodies for a campfire if there is no fire burning ban that day) and spend the day exploring a new-to-you beach.

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Yes, I’m being weird and eating cereal out of a box. Are you really surprised?

7. Head to a National Park

With admission to Parks Canada sites free this year, it’s the perfect time to visit some of the local parks and heritage sites that maybe you haven’t visited, or haven’t visited in a long time. This past Saturday we went to Grand Pre and really enjoyed walking around and enjoying the scenery and history.

Nova Scotia is fortunate to be rich in history and provincial parks, so why not take advantage and check them out this summer while admissions are free!? And you can be sure most locations will be having some sort of Canada Day celebrations planned.

8. OnTreePark

I’m not 100% sure they are open on Canada Day itself (but couldn’t find anything saying that they aren’t either), but if you are near Windsor, this would be an awesome way to celebrate Canada Day Weekend. If you aren’t familiar with OnTreePark:

OnTree Park is Nova Scotia’s first high rope course climbing and zip lining park designed and built based on German ingenuity and standards in combination with Canada’s supreme environment. It offers excitement and physical challenges for people of all ages and ability.

This is another item on Suzi’s “to-do” list and would be so much fun/scary…but you know, a fun scary!

9. Hit the bike trails!

but with a helmet of course!

We are fortunate to have lots of groomed bike trails to use here in my area, and while I’m hesitant to travel on them by myself, gathering a small group of people together and hitting the trails for a day of fun sounds like an amazing way to celebrate Canada Day!

10. Play in the water!

Pool party anyone?

Or lake party – or ocean party – or hot tub party (though that last one is arguably less active 😉 ).

If you are fortunate enough to have your own pool it’s easy to round-up some snacks and invite a few friends over. Everyone loves hanging out by the pool, even if they don’t swim, and you can always cool off with some delicious Canada Day themed snacks!

Thanks so much for dropping by! Do you have any plans for how you are going to celebrate Canada Day weekend? If not, I hope this post has helped you spark some ideas!

Don’t forget to hop over to some of the other ECM blogger’s #ECMCanada150 posts to see what they’re up to!