No Canada Day fireworks, evening festivities at Assiniboine Park this year

There will be nofireworks or evening events on Canada Day at Assiniboine Park this year, park officials have confirmed, but there will still be a party.

Plans have changed because of two major factors this year, said Assiniboine Park Conservancyspokesperson Laura Curtis.

"For the past 17 years the Canada Day celebrations in Assiniboine Park have been operated by Canad Inns," she said in an email to CBC.

"They really saw Canada's 150 as the culmination of their event and have decided not to continue with it."

In addition, the building of the new Diversity Gardens and the proximity of the zoo has proved a problem for fireworks launching this year.

"In the past when fireworks have occurred in Assiniboine Park they have been launched from the south east corner of the Park," she said, adding it was the best location from a visitor safety and animal welfare standpoint.

However, the spot is now right beside the future home of the Diversity Gardens, which is an active construction site.

"Unfortunately there is no other location within the Park that we are able to safely launch fireworks from so we will not be incorporating them in our event this year."

Instead, the park plans to have a daytime, family-friendly event at the Lyric Theatre on July 1.

"We're in the midst of finalizing the program and plan to announce all of the details by the end of this week."

There will be several Canada Day events in Winnipeg this year, according to Tourism Winnipeg's website, including the Forks, Osborne Village and Oak Hammock Marsh.