Folks in Barrie now have the opportunity to order their beaver. That’s right, order a beaver. Taking place on the 25^th of September is the City of Barrie’s first ever Great Canadian Beaver Festival, set to be held at Heritage Park.

The unique festival was first hatched by two Rotarians who were inspired and became patriotic after watching the Winter Olympics, which were held earlier this year in Vancouver. The games prompted them to do something that was truly, and uniquely, Canadian.

In short, it’s a festival celebrating the Canadian Spirit. You might be asking yourself, “Why a beaver and not some other Canadian symbol, like a maple leaf?”

Mark Campbell, marketing coordinator of the event, says that there isn’t a deep meaning behind their decision in naming the festival after the beaver. Simply put, it’s Canadian and makes people giggle, he shares.

The plan is to emulate the popular rubber ducky race, but this time featuring beavers instead. The race starts at Heritage Park’s pond, and ends at Kempenfelt Bay.

But the beaver race isn’t the only thing you should watch out for. There are also some displays and activities about everything that’s Canadian – including Mounties, road hockey games, and of course, more beavers.

The Friends for Life walk-a-thon, hosted by the Barrie OSPCA, was a haven for dogs of all breeds and sizes, all coming together for a day of socializing with other pets under the warmth of the sun.

For Lesley King and her 2-year-old bullmastiff Duke, it was an opportunity to meet other dog lovers who share their passion for protecting these animals. For Duke, it was a chance to play and let loose.

Lesley adopted Duke, formerly named Moose, from the OPSCA in Barrie. He was rescued by the organization after his previous owners left him at the streets with a broken leg and an empty stomach. Duke managed to survive for 3 weeks before being brought in to the shelter.

Today, Duke is a great addition to his new family. He’s active and just happy to be in a new home, Lesley said. She and her family fell in love with Duke the moment they saw him.

According to the OPSCA, it’s this passion for orphaned animals that they hope to see in more people. The walk-a-thon served as a way for them to raise awareness on the problem of homeless pets, as well as to promote proper pet-owner responsibility.

Those who participated in the dog walk were happy to donate to the shelter. The collected money will be used to cover the medical expenses of rehabilitating the sick animals they find.