As a precursor to the June 24-26 festival, the HMCS Oriole will be making a stop in Brockville on May 30th and 31st as she makes her way to Toronto.
She will be arriving at approximately 10:00 am on Saturday and will be found along the sea wall on Blockhouse Island. Free deck tours will be available from 1:00-4:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am – 6:00 pm on Sunday this weekend aboard the Oriole. UPDATE: due to circumstances beyond their control, the Oriole has been delayed from the originally advertised May 28 & 29 arrival. Saturday’s deck tours will be adjusted to start later and end later than anticipated. Please follow the festival on facebook for updates.
Face masks are required in order to board. The Oriole was invited to attend our festival in June but due to a prior commitment was unable to participate this year, however they graciously offered to add a stop in Brockville to their May itinerary as they traveled west.
The committee is also able to reveal the entertainment line up that has been in progress:
The 6 tall ships that will be participating at this year’s festival will be joined by Theodore Too, of Canadian children’s television series “Theodore Tugboat”. Theodore Too first visited Brockville in 2021 and was a hit with adults who recalled the show fondly, and young children who still enjoy the show today. The Canadian Coast Guard will be sending the CCGS Mamilossa, a 28.5 metre long, powerful amphibious hovercraft capable of a maximum speed of 50 knots to the upcoming festival. She is used in flood control activities and clearing ice jams from rivers and areas that are hard to reach with conventional icebreakers. Her participating in the upcoming Brockville Tall Ships® Festival will be the furthest west in the St. Lawrence River that she has been to date.
Participating tall ships include: Fair Jeanne, Empire Sandy, Nao Trinidad, TS Playfair, St. Lawrence II, and Mimi Jane.
In addition to the ships, a new stage on Blockhouse Island Parkway will feature live performances starting after Friday’s afternoon Parade of Sail. Following the opening ceremonies, stage entertainment will kick off with storyteller Victor Maelstrum, to be followed by Jessica Lavallee who will open for “The Shantyman” Sean McCann. On Saturday, additional stage performances will include country music duo “The Rifle & The Writer” as well as Canada’s premier theatrical pirate troupe and festival-favourite, “Capt’n Tor and the Naer Do Well Cads”.
Nearby in Hardy Park, the kids zone will include the Leeds County Draft Horse Club’s “Touch-A-Horse” display, face painting, balloon animals, Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard displays, and will include Capt’n Tor’s pirate encampment. The pirate encampment will include daily games and activities, a mermaid grotto, pirates of course, and a “pirate stage” where the troupe will perform and host storyteller Victor Maelstrum who will weave tales of pirate lore.
Festival Passports, which grant access onto the ships for deck tours and the festival grounds for all three days are available for advance purchase now for $15 (or $20 at the gate) or get access to the grounds without boarding the ships for only $10 for all 3 days. Children 5 and under enjoy free admission and deck tours when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Tickets for sail outs and sunset sails aboard the Empire Sandy are also available for purchase.
Tickets are now on sale on through the Brockville Arts Centre online box office at http://brockvilleartscentre.com/tall-ships-2022/ with direct links available at www.tallshipsbrockville.com/tickets
This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.
Theodore Tugboat and other activities are being brought to our festival through a partnership with the Aquatarium and RTO9, South Eastern Ontario.