Canada Day brings fireworks, family events, and heat warning
Toronto marks July 1 with free programming across multiple parks, fireworks at 10 p.m., and an expected high of 35°C with humidex at 45°C.
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Toronto residents have plenty of ways to mark Canada Day on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, though the city is bracing for intense heat with an orange-level warning from Environment Canada.
The forecast calls for a high of 35°C, feeling like 45°C with the humidex. The day will be sunny early, transitioning to a mix of sun and cloud with a 40 percent chance of showers in the late afternoon and early evening. A risk of thunderstorms exists before nightfall, with a low of 24°C.
Fireworks displays will light up the sky at 10 p.m. at multiple locations: Ashbridges Bay Park (1561 Lake Shore Blvd. E.), Milliken Park, Amesbury Park, Stan Wadlow Park, Mel Lastman Square, and Downsview Park. Harbourfront Centre viewers can catch fireworks from HTO Park or Harbour Square Park between 10:45 p.m. and 11 p.m. There will be no display at Nathan Phillips Square.
Nathan Phillips Square hosts free family programming from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., including live music, dance performances, a citizenship ceremony, kids' activities, and soccer on mini pitches. The square will feature FIFA World Cup 2026 activations with live broadcasts of Round of 32 games at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Other parks offering free programming include Thomson Memorial Park (10 a.m.–3 p.m.), Amesbury Park (10 a.m.–10 p.m.), Stan Wadlow Park (11 a.m.–10 p.m.), and Mel Lastman Square (12 noon–10 p.m.), each featuring entertainment, food vendors, and activities for all ages.
The city acknowledges that people may celebrate or acknowledge the day in different ways, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Residents 18 and over may set off fireworks on their own private property until 11 p.m. without a permit, but fireworks are prohibited in parks, beaches, streets, and parking lots.
