Yesterday was Canada Day and to celebrate the occasion plenty of activities were held at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie.

The day kicked off with a pancake breakfast in the morning and diverse activities and entertainment ran throughout the day. Kids enjoyed playing on bouncy castles, getting their faces painted, doing crafts and even trying their hand at dunking characters like Superman and Captain Canada in the Recreation Opportunities for Kids dunk tank.

Joey Tunski was one of the people who took a turn in the tank and says he was dunked an uncountable number of times. He shares why he chose to be a part of the dunk tank team.

"It just seemed interesting and it's pretty hot out today so I just kind of decided to join."

He adds it was a good way to beat the heat.

Musical and dance entertainment also ran throughout the day, with acts such as Antic, Amy Brown, the Portage Vesna Ukrainian dancers and many more taking to the stage. Shelley Friesen watched some of the entertainment and says it was fantastic and she really enjoyed it. She notes she especially enjoyed watching the Ukrainian dancing.

In the evening people were treated to an outdoor showing of the live-action Beauty and the Beast and at dusk, the annual fireworks display closed out the day.