The full itinerary for the royal visit to Canada sees the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visiting B.C. and the Yukon from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.
In the details released for the tour, Kensington Palace states it will take the royal couple “from the bustling global city of Vancouver – population 2.5 million – to the remote and beautiful Bella Bella, home to less than 2,000 people. Along the way they will meet as many Canadians as possible, and will help celebrate Canada’s First Nations communities, its arts and culture, pristine and beautiful environment, and its compassionate and innovative charitable sector.”
Watch below: This new generation of royals has sparked renewed interest in the Royal Family. Will and Kate are at the centre of the royal revival. Sonia Deol reports.
Prince William and Kate will be part of more than 30 engagements over the week and the palace hopes the tour will “deepen their relationship with a country that they will visit many times over the course of their lives. They want to help the people of British Columbia and Yukon to celebrate what makes Canada great and to showcase some amazing places to the rest of the world.”
Saturday, Sept. 24
The royal couple, along with their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will arrive in Victoria on Saturday, Sept. 24. They will travel to Victoria with the Royal Canadian Air Force and will be greeted at Victoria Airport before moving to Government House – where they will be based throughout the tour – for a very brief stop.
Watch below: Where will the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge be on Saturday when they arrive at the B.C. Legislature in Victoria? Sonia Deol takes Global News viewers on a royal walkabout.
They will then make their way to the B.C. Legislature where they will officially open the tour by paying their respects at Victoria’s Cenotaph and will unveil a plaque paying tribute to the veterans of Canada’s involvement in the Afghanistan conflict.
This official welcome will be open to the public and it will feature an honor guard and speeches. Following this event Their Royal Highnesses will return to Government House where they will have meetings with senior Canadian leaders.
Watch below: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be arriving in Victoria Saturday for a week long tour of British Columbia and Yukon. Keith Baldrey has more on where the public can get a chance to see the Royal Family.
Sunday, Sept. 25
On Sunday, Sept. 25, the Duke and Duchess will travel to Vancouver by float plane. They will land in the harbour at Jack Poole Plaza and will then travel to the Downtown Eastside where they will meet members of Sheway, a charity that has helped vulnerable mothers who are battling addiction and other issues.
Watch below: Sheway is a Pregnancy Outreach Program located in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and it’s also an official stop for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Client Karen Leanne Starr tells Global News how Sheway helped save her life.
The couple will then visit the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia, who support more than 25,000 migrants to Canada each year, including some of the 30,000 who arrived in Canada over the past year from UNHCR camps and who were fleeing the war in Syria.
The Duke and Duchess will then attend an event celebrating young leaders in Canadian arts, music, sport, charity, business, and film.
The final engagement of the day will see the Duke and Duchess visit the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station in Vanier park and meet with other first responders including police and fire services and social workers. The Duke and Duchess will then depart the area by the Coast Guard’s hovercraft before flying back to Victoria for the evening.
Monday, Sept. 26
Kensington Palace says Monday, Sept. 26, is going to be one of the most beautiful days of the tour as the Duke and Duchess will travel to the Great Bear Rainforest.
Immediately on arrival at Bella Bella airport the Duke and Duchess will transfer to a float plane where they will be given an aerial tour of a section of the vast rainforest. They will then land on the water at Bella Bella’s main jetty where they will be ceremoniously welcomed by the Heiltsuk First Nations community.
Watch below: Etiquette expert Carey McBeth has the dos and don’ts should you encounter a royal on their official visit to British Columbia and Yukon.
From there they will be guided by young people through Bella Bella to the community centre where a youth performance will take place. There will also be an opportunity for speeches on the significance of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) at a separate event following this performance.
The party will then travel to nearby Mcloughlin Bay where the rainforest will be officially committed to the QCC during a brief ceremony. They will also have an opportunity to see one of the new walking trails being constructed in the area before departing by boat and returning to Victoria.
That evening in Victoria, the Duke and Duchess will attend a reception hosted by the province of British Columbia at Government House.
Tuesday, Sept. 27
On Tuesday, they will fly to Kelowna and will first stop at UBC Okanagan where they will meet students and then watch an exhibition match with UBC’s nationally ranked women’s volleyball team.
They will then take part in the B.C. government’s Taste of British Columbia festival at Mission Hill Winery.
Watch below: When Will and Kate visit Mission Hill Winery, they will also experience a unique Okanagan program that sees chefs volunteer in local classrooms. Called Chefs in the Classroom – Edible Education, it was started a year ago by a Mission Hill chef who believed helping kids eat better was all about showing them where food comes from locally. Doris Maria Bregolisse reports.
Following this event, they will fly to Whitehorse, Yukon and will arrive in the early evening. They will be greeted by members of the Canadian Rangers and will get to meet some of the young people who serve in the Junior Canadian Rangers.
Later that evening they will watch a cultural performance at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. Their Royal Highnesses will stay in Whitehorse overnight.
Watch below: The best place to catch a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Kelowna is at UBC Okanagan. The only problem is, accessing the campus isn’t all that easy.
Wednesday, Sept. 28
The next day, Wednesday, Sept. 28, will give the Duke and Duchess a real chance to see the natural beauty of Yukon as the day will begin with a visit to the MacBride Museum, where they will learn about Yukon’s history. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the telegraph office, now part of the museum, in 1959.
Next, they will join in a party on Main Street in Whitehorse before making their way to Carcross, a town of fewer than 300 people. At the Carcross Commons they will have a traditional welcome from the Carcross/Tagish First Nation and will be given a tour of the recently completed buildings and public spaces there and will have a chance to say hello to the local community.
Watch below: To mark the opening of Expo 86 in Vancouver, Prince Charles and Princess Diana traveled to Vancouver to take part in the festivities. Here is a look back at their time in the city.
The Duke and Duchess will then travel a short distance to the beautiful Montana Mountain, which is known for mountain biking.
Their Royal Highnesses will then travel down to the bottom of the track and bid farewell to the young people and the community before heading back to Whitehorse Airport and on to Victoria.
Thursday, Sept. 29
On Thursday, Sept. 29, the Duke and Duchess will attend a children’s party on the grounds of Government House. A group of military families have been invited to take part.
The rest of the day will provide the Duke and Duchess some private time with their children.
Friday, Sept. 30
On Friday, Their Royal Highnesses will visit Haida Gwaii, and will arrive in Skidegate. There they will transfer to a traditional Haida canoe and will help to paddle around to the beach at the Haida Heritage Centre and Museum, where they will be officially welcomed. Inside the centre they will be addressed by the president of the Haida Nation and see a cultural performance from around 30 local children.
Watch below: Northern Health President & CEO Cathy Ulrich explains why the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s will make an official stop at the new hospital on Haida Gwaii.
They will officially open the new Haida Gwaii Hospital and Care Centre and meet with people who have been treated there.
Before leaving, they will join youth from the Skidegate Youth Centre and will fish on the waters of the Hectate Strate.
Saturday, Oct. 1
Saturday, Oct. 1, will be a busy final day for the tour. The first engagement will be a visit to the Cridge Centre in Victoria. They will then visit a local cafe where they will meet with families that have been supported by the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre.
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Then they will board a tall ship operated by the Sail and Life Training Society. Onboard will be a group of young people who are part of JACK.org, a national network of youth who are working to end stigma around mental health for their generation. The Duke and Duchess will have a chance to talk to these young people about their work while helping to sail the tall ship before docking in the inner harbour.
Later that afternoon the Duke and Duchess end their tour by taking part in a public official departure ceremony at Victoria Harbour Airport. They will then board a float plane and will have a brief tour of the southern tip of Vancouver Island before departing Canada with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Events open to the public
The following events will be open to the public. Other events listed above will be invite only.
Saturday, Sept. 24
Official Welcome to Canada – Pariliament Buildings, Victoria.
Sunday, Sept. 25
Their Royal Highnesses arrive in Vancouver, Jack Poole Plaza.
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Their Royal Highnesses arrive at UBC Okanagan, Kelowna.
Saturday, Oct. 1
Official departure from Canada, Inner Harbour, Victoria.
WATCH BELOW: Prince William and Kate land in Victoria, B.C. on September 24. Legislative bureau chief Keith Baldrey breaks down the politics of the royal visit.
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