a peek inside the fishbowl

I hate to say this, but until this moment I’ve never attended the
Casino du Lac-Leamy’s Sound of Light fireworks extravaganza. It seems… disloyal not to have made a point to go to an annual event that is such a cool part of SUMMER in the National Capital Region but for one reason or another, it never happened. Well, our family FINALLY made it out last night (thanks to Mark, who got the tickets!) and I’m here to say: don’t be like me. GO.

It was truly a wonderful event from start to finish.

Parking was a breeze. We found free street parking a two-minute walk from the venue. Easy in, easy out.

We arrived a couple hours before the fireworks started. We were welcomed by friendly volunteers and it was quick to get in and find a spot.

Mark and I brought folding chairs, the girls opted for blankets. I was happy enough with my chair but the blankets were better on uneven ground, especially in some areas where there’s a heavier slope towards the water.

Oh, did I mention where this was? It’s behind the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau. The view, as the sun went down, was so so so pretty.

The red chairs in the photo above are VIP seating. Tickets are a bit pricier, but you know what, I wouldn’t bother paying extra. If you arrive early enough you can get seating that is just as good.

I wasn’t worried about arriving too early. Other than stare out at the scenery (which is captivating in and of itself), there’s music, food trucks, and wandering performers. It’s all quite low-key, which I like. There is plenty for kids to see and do before it’s time to settle down for the fireworks.

As we know, the devil is in the details. A few other things I appreciated here: there is no smoking on the property, garbage collection was swift and efficient (in other words, there were no overflowing bins to be seen anywhere, plus, there was on site composting (!), and there are people walking around selling beer and coolers to whoever wanted them. (Better than standing in line!) I thought this was so civilized.

Soon, the hour was upon us. Sidebar: did you know Sound of Light is a fireworks competition? Generally, different countries compete against each other but this year, Canadian provinces are competing. Last night was Manitoba’s turn. And what a show it was!

I’ve attended the Canada Day fireworks in Ottawa for many years (I guess this is the closest comparison I can make) but this was my first time watching fireworks put to music. I REALLY liked it. It’s not one song – it’s a mix – and even though I didn’t love some of the songs in that mix, the addition of music really kicks it up a notch.

Note to self: don’t bother taking photos because they won’t ever be as pretty as you remember them. Sigh.

Which reminds me… if you go, I recommend finding a spot where you can take in the entire tableau, including the platform from which the fireworks are launched. We were behind a hedge and it obscured the bottom quarter of the sky. (As per the photo above.) I didn’t think it would be a big deal at first (all the fireworks are shot high up, right?) but it’s clear that the pyrotechnic artists use the entire sky as their canvas. And if you want to see the show how THEY intend it to be seen, you want to make sure you can see it all.

At ten bucks a ticket (kids under 11 are free) I’d say it’s a pretty darn good deal for a great night out. You have until August 19 to catch the show! For more details, check out the official website.