In honour of King Charles III’s coronation Saturday, Ontario is offering free admission to a number of provincial sites and parks.
Locally, that means Springwater Park in Midhurst will be free to visit, as well as Awenda, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, Craigleith, and Wasaga Beach.
Springwater Park is located at 1131 Highway 26, just north of Barrie, and includes areas for family picnics, 12 kilometres of hiking trails, and a large playing field
Meanwhile, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, which is opening for the season Saturday, will feature a number of special offerings throughout the day, including a chance to name the site’s two new piglets.
There’s also be a chance to meet historic livestock from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the stables, watch canoe-making demonstrations at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the museum, hear legends in the longhouse at noon and 3 p.m., enjoy Indigenous games at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Indigenous area and enjoy a one-hour tour at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. starting from the foyer.
There’ll also be cornbread and tea tasting available all day in the cookhouse at the site, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For those heading to Toronto on Saturday, there will be official celebrations at Queen’s Park.
To commemorate the King’s coronation, Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Premier Doug Ford, speaker Ted Arnott, and Indigenous leaders will hold a flag-raising ceremony, 21-gun salute and drum circle at 11:15 a.m.
Following the ceremony, ‘Coronation Celebration: A Fun Royal Fair’ will be held on the south lawn of Queen’s Park from noon to 6 p.m. Free family fun activities will include carnival rides and live entertainment. A ‘Taste of Ontario’ will provide complimentary food and beverages from Ontario farmers and processors.
Extending the celebrations across the province, 10 major cultural attractions and 39 provincial parks will offer free admission for day use. To find out more about the provincial parks, visit Ontario Parks.
Other cultural sites offering free admission Saturday include: Cultural attractions offering free admission on May 6 include: Art Gallery of Ontario, Fort William Historical Park, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Niagara Parks’ Butterfly Conservatory and Floral Showhouse, Ontario Science Centre, Royal Botanical Gardens, Royal Ontario Museum, Science North and Upper Canada Village.
