Although it was the soggiest Teddy Bear Picnic in recent memory, many kids still hauled their stuffies and guardians to Nanoose Bay to enjoy the parade and festivities Saturday.
The long-running event, put on by Quality Foods, invites children to bring their teddy bears and register them for a passport when they arrive at the Jack Bagley Field. Children then visited the bear-a-chute ride where stuffies get to enjoy a helium balloon ride, a teddy tattoo parlour, a teddy dunk tank, and bear clinic to fix tattered stuffed animals. There was also live bluegrass music, wagon rides, bouncy castles and many educational stations like the Regional District of Nanaimo's Team WaterSmart and The Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental and Test Ranges (CFMETR).
There was also complimentary hot dogs, pop and cake. Dozens of corporate mascots wandered around the field giving high fives to the kids like Tony the Tiger and Daisy the cow from Island Farms. Many of QF's corporate partners and tons of volunteers came together to help make the day possible.