Float Ideas for the Canada Day Parade
Canada has a very rich history that Canadians celebrate often. One of these events is Canada Day. Canadians celebrate Canada Day similar to the ways Americans celebrate their Independence Day--with fireworks and parades. Parade floats are a big part of the celebration and making a great parade float can help make a great parade.
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Giant Maple Leaf
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One of the major symbols of Canada and Canadian pride is the maple leaf on the flag. This maple leaf represents centuries of growth, change, struggles and successes in Canada. On Canada Day, many proud Canadians will be waving their flag triumphantly. Celebrate this pride by creating a giant maple leaf float. Take a piece of particle board, plywood, cardboard or foam polystyrene and build a 5-foot tall maple leaf. You can also use papier-mâché if you like. Also craft smaller, 6-inch to 1-foot maple leafs to place alongside the tall leaf. Now paint them all red and put them on your float. Make a sign for each side of your float. It should read "Celebrating Canadian Pride" or something similar.
Provincial Flags
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Canada is split into vast areas called provinces. Each province has a slightly different culture. In fact, because of their vast sizes, many Canadians don't make it to every province in their country. Celebrate these provinces with a provincial flag float. Find pictures of the flag of each province. You can also integrate the territories of Canada if you like. Now, take some kind of material (particle board, cardboard, or something like that) and make them flag-shaped. Paint the designs onto your flag-shaped pieces of wood and attach them to a pole. Put each flag in a different spot around your float. You can make them evenly distributed for an official look, or a bit more random for a more open look. Make sure to place a Canadian flag on the tallest pole at the center of your float.
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History Float
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Canada has a long history filled with many cultures. At different times in its existence it was controlled by the French and then the English. It existed for a long time as part of England until finally gaining full political independence by 1982. Celebrate this long rich history with a history float. Try to find interesting events in Canadian history without hitting the obvious ones. For example, it would be kind of a cliché to include the first prime minister of Canada in your float. Instead, work in something about the first prime minister to be assassinated, because this would be much more interesting. The float could include a lifesized cardboard cutout shaped like that prime minister.
Mounty Float
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Besides the maple leaf, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (or the Mounties) is one of the best-known and most potent symbols of Canada. These vaunted police vowed to "always get their man" and although they've been parodied a little over the years, they are still highly respected and still active. Give these police officers respect with a float of their own. Design or buy several Mounty uniforms. Find some guys to put on the uniforms and stand on the float. The float should be designed like the wilderness, which is where the Mounties generally operate. Some papier-mâché trees and a painted river would be great. Now alongside the float, have some people riding horses. On each side of the float, have a sign reading "We Always Get Our Man!" Perhaps there could be a "criminal" on the float, captured in a jail cell.
Economy Float
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In spite of its quiet and laid-back reputation, Canada is actually one of the world's wealthiest nations, and one of the few first-world countries to export energy. It has a rich and diverse economy that has made Canada one of the nicest places in the world to live. Celebrate this success by celebrating the commerce of Canada. Each section of the float should focus on a different aspect of the Canadian economy. For example, logging is one of Canada's biggest industries, as is oil. In one section of your float, have a lumberjack standing holding an axe over a log. In another section, you can design either a small oil rig or a gas pump. Canada also provides a large variety of agricultural products. Have another section of your float celebrate this by having a farmer working the fields.
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