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Each summer, Port Colborne transforms.
Tall ships rise above the Welland Canal as live music fills the downtown. Colourful vendor booths line West Street, and local businesses prepare for their busiest weekend of the year. Tens of thousands of visitors make their way to Port Colborne for one of Ontario's premier summer festivals – the Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival, presented by GIO Rail.
For four days, Canal Days becomes the heart of Port Colborne’s summer. But the festival is about much more than what happens during one weekend. It is the result of months of planning, countless volunteer hours, community partnerships and local investment.
This year, Canal Days will bring together nearly 200 volunteers, approximately 150 vendors, 15 community organizations, close collaboration between local businesses and City staff, and a record-breaking 80-plus sponsors. Together, they will support a free marine heritage festival nearly five decades in the making – a tradition shaped by the community behind it.
That spirit of collaboration has been part of Canal Days since the beginning.
In 1979, the Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum joined communities along the Welland Canal in commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first Welland Canal. More than 400 people attended the celebration, inspiring museum staff and volunteers to continue the event the following year.
What began as a small celebration on Museum grounds gradually expanded beyond its original footprint, evolving into Port Colborne's signature festival while remaining rooted in the city's marine heritage. Today, Canal Days welcomes more than 65,000 visitors from across the region, Canada, Western New York and beyond.
“I see the museum as Canal Days’ thematic and spiritual anchor,” said Stephanie Powell-Baswick, Director of Museum & Culture at the Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum. “Part of the reason Canal Days has been able to innovate and grow is that it builds upon a solid and cherished foundation – our community’s marine heritage.”
Nearly five decades later, that connection between past and present continues to shape the festival. The Museum remains at the heart of Canal Days, connecting today's waterfront celebration to the stories, traditions and marine heritage that gave it life.
“Our visitors and volunteers, through their enthusiastic engagement, make it clear to us that celebrating the community’s history is important to them,” she added. “Learning about our community’s history can not only help us understand why our city is the way it is today, but it also helps to restore our civic pride.”
As Canal Days has grown, so too has the network of organizations choosing to support it.
This year, more than 80 sponsors are supporting the festival – the highest level of sponsorship in Canal Days history. Many of those organizations are returning partners, reflecting the strong relationships that have been built between the festival and businesses that continue to invest in Port Colborne.
Leading the sponsor support is GIO Rail, a Niagara-based railway service provider serving as the festival’s presenting sponsor through a four-year partnership that includes a $75,000 annual investment.
"We continue to return as presenting sponsor because Canal Days reflects many of the values we believe in – strong partnerships, community pride, and investing in the communities where we operate,” said Neil Johnson, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of GIO Rail. “It's an opportunity to support an event that brings people together, creates opportunities for local businesses, and showcases everything that makes Port Colborne unique."
Johnson said the spirit of collaboration behind Canal Days is what his team values most about the festival.
“One of the things that stands out about Canal Days is how many people and organizations come together to make it happen,” he said. "We're proud to be part of that collective effort and to help support an event that means so much to the community."
Sponsors help make Canal Days possible, but volunteers help bring it to life.
Nearly 200 volunteers will support the 2026 festival, welcoming visitors, assisting with operations and creating the welcoming atmosphere that has become part of the Canal Days experience.
Among them is Welland-native Roger Gilbert, who still remembers an important lesson his mother taught him growing up: “If there’s something you can always give, it’s your time.”
It’s a lesson that has guided Gilbert throughout his life – and one that brings him back to Canal Days each year.
Over the past four years, Gilbert has supported the festival in several different roles, giving him a behind-the-scenes perspective on the teamwork required to make Canal Days happen.
“What keeps me coming back each year is the incredible collaboration among the City of Port Colborne staff and the many dedicated volunteers who work together to make the event a success,” explained Gilbert.
Over the years, volunteering has introduced Gilbert to new people and given him countless opportunities to give back to the community. One memory from the 2025 festival, however, remains especially meaningful. While volunteering in the accessible seating area during the concerts, Gilbert spoke with several attendees who shared how much they appreciated the effort made to ensure people of all abilities could comfortably enjoy the performances.
"Hearing their appreciation for this gesture of inclusion was both touching and rewarding," he said. “The fact that Canal Days is a free event that is accessible to all members of the community makes volunteering even more meaningful.”
That community spirit is just as strong among the local businesses and community organizations that help shape the festival each year.
This year, 15 community organizations will take part in the festival, joining 150 vendors who will help transform the waterfront into a vibrant celebration of local businesses, artisans, food vendors and community.
Business Community & Events Ambassador Olga Loeffen, who works closely with businesses in the heart of the festival footprint, believes the festival succeeds because so many different groups work together toward the same goal.
“What community groups, local businesses and vendors bring is the 'why' – the reason thousands of people make visiting Port Colborne for Canal Days part of their summer bucket list,” explained Loeffen.
While City staff coordinate logistics, permitting and festival programming, community groups and businesses help create the experiences that visitors remember while generating economic and community benefits that extend far beyond the festival weekend.
Canal Days also offers a unique opportunity for organizations to connect and share their work and purpose directly with thousands of people.
“It's exciting to see so many community organizations come together to showcase what they do, recruit volunteers, raise funds and interact with over 65,000 attendees in just 4 days.”
Loeffen says maintaining strong communication with businesses throughout the planning process helps ensure the festival is successful for everyone involved, while the participation of community organizations continues to strengthen the event year after year.
"These groups are the cornerstones of the festival's success," explained Loeffen. “It's the spirit of collaboration that makes Canal Days possible."
From July 31 to August 3, thousands of visitors will arrive in Port Colborne for Canal Days.
They will experience the sights and celebrations that have made the festival a summer tradition. What they may not see is the community behind it – the people and partnerships that have carried Canal Days forward for nearly five decades.
From its beginnings as a celebration of the Welland Canal’s history to the city-wide festival it is today, Canal Days continues to honour the heritage that has shaped Port Colborne while bringing generations together to celebrate its story.
More than a festival, Canal Days is a shared legacy – built on heritage, strengthened by collaboration, and carried forward by the Port Colborne community.
Discover the 2026 festival lineup at www.canaldays.ca
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