Free Ice Cream + Fireworks: Canada Day on Amherst Island 🇨🇦
Spend Canada Day on Amherst Island
We’re open this Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1, from 11am to 8pm — and we’re scooping free ice cream starting at 2pm, on ’til it’s gone, courtesy of our wonderful neighbours at the Amherst Island Women’s Institute and Handy Fairies. Come spend the day on the island and stop by for a free cone.
It’s a full day of events happening island-wide, organized by our friends at the A.I. Recreation Association. Here’s the day at a glance:
Morning
- 10am–12pm — Agricultural Society Market & Social at the Fairgrounds Pavilion
- 10am–2pm — ISLE Merch Sale in support of AIPS programs (5605 Front Rd)
- 11am — Agricultural Society Barbecue at the Pavilion
Afternoon
- 12:30pm — Children’s Games with prizes at the Fairgrounds Pavilion: Cow Pattie Bingo, potato sack race, egg & spoon race, balloon stomp, gum boot throwing — plus bocce and corn hole for the adults
- 2pm — Free ice cream at The Back Kitchen (on ’til it’s gone)
Evening
- 6:40pm — Parade marshalling at St. Alban’s Anglican Church; all are welcome — walking, pedalling, or motorized
- 7:05pm — Parade from St. Alban’s to the Community Centre / A.I.P.S.
- After the parade — Free hot dogs, cotton candy, snow cones, photos with your favourite ferry float, a selfie booth, and music by Don Cowin at the Community Centre
- After dark — Fireworks! Bring a chair or blanket
Watching the parade? Our front yard is a great spot to settle in with a treat and take it all in as the parade goes by. Pull up a chair and enjoy.
Browse the farmers’ market at the new Pavilion, take in the parade, and head to the school in the evening for fireworks and free hot dogs. Donations to the A.I. Rec Association are gratefully accepted to help fund island programs and events.
It’s a day you won’t want to miss. Full Canada Day schedule lives on our community event calendar: Canada Day on Amherst Island »
Now Open Wednesdays — Summer Hours Begin
Canada Day also marks the start of our Wednesday summer hours. From this Wednesday on, we’ll be open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am to 8pm, all summer long.
You can always find our latest hours conveniently listed at the top of our website: Back Kitchen Summer Hours »
Saturday Donuts Are Back
Every Saturday all summer long, there’s a new donut flavour waiting for you. We open at 11am — get here early, because they go fast! Pair your fresh donut with a cup of Amherst Island Coffee Co. coffee or Island Tea, both made right here by our friends on Amherst Island.
Fish Fryday is Back!
Our golden, Guinness beer-battered haddock is back, served fresh 5–8pm, Fridays, for dine-in or pickup. Every order comes with your choice of one piece ($17) or two pieces ($24), fries, house-made tartar sauce, and our house-made coleslaw.
Pre-ordering online? Just remember to set your pickup time for after 5pm — that’s when fish and chips appear on the menu. And don’t forget you can enjoy your meal out in our new backyard gazebo and picnic area. It’s a lovely spot on a summer evening.
New Menu Item: The Greek Wrap
New menu item alert — and it’s already a favourite! Our Greek Wrap ($11) comes loaded with tzatziki, cucumber, diced tomato, pickled red onion, feta, and romaine on a flour tortilla. Add our rotisserie chicken for just $2.
Calling All Chefs — Guest Chef Sundays Return
Our much-loved Guest Chef Sunday Dinners are firing up again, and we’d love to see you in the kitchen. Starting Sunday, July 5 and running every Sunday through August 30, we’re inviting Amherst Island residents, cottagers, and BK regulars to step up to the stove and share a favourite meal with the community.
You don’t need to be a professional chef — just someone who loves to cook and wants to share their food (and maybe a story or two) with friends and neighbours. Whether it’s your family’s secret recipe, a dish from your heritage, or something new you’ve been wanting to try, we’d love to see what you bring to the table.
It’s a great chance to share your favourite recipes and food traditions, introduce new flavours and ideas to the island, meet new folks and get to know your community in a whole new way, and cook for a friendly, appreciative crowd!
Interested? Email us at backkitchenai@gmail.com, or talk to one of our staff or Board Members at the restaurant. Spots fill up quickly, so let us know if you’d like to take part — or if you’d just like to learn more first.
Not up for a full meal but still want to help? Let us know — we’re always happy to match volunteers with a guest chef or put together a team.
Thank You — Our New Gazebo Is Open
Earlier this month, friends of The Back Kitchen turned out from all over the island and beyond to celebrate the grand opening of our gazebo.
Mayor Jim Hegadorn cut the ribbon on our new outdoor dining space, and we were grateful to hear a few words from Council member Lorna Willis, BK Board Chair Keith Mercer, and longtime volunteer and former board member Lynann Clapham — who was there back when the gazebo was just an idea around the table. As Lynann reminded the crowd: this is your Back Kitchen, your gazebo, your yard. It felt exactly right to mark the moment together.
This space was made possible by grant funding from Loyalist Township and Clearlight Energy — thank you for believing in what a small, volunteer-led café can be for its community.
Over free coffee, tea, and fresh donuts, neighbours browsed and bid on a silent auction that raised funds going straight back into keeping our not-for-profit café running. The kids stayed busy with games and free ice cream — with special thanks to the Amherst Island Recreation Association, who loaned us their PA system and games for the day, and to our young volunteers who helped run them.
Our heartfelt thanks to every business and neighbour who donated to the silent auction:
Businesses & organizations: Amherst Island General Store, Weasel and Easel, A.I. Freeze Dried Goodies, Island Gold, Amherst Island Coffee Co., MacKinnon Brothers Brewing, Topsy Farms, Island Harvest Farm, ISLE, Amherst Island Women’s Institute, Island Tea Co., Loyalist Township, A.I. Community Medical Clinic, A.I. Agricultural Society (AIAS), and Island Radio.
Individual donors: Pat Frontini, Ida Gavlas, Molly Stroyman, Janice McGinn, Karen McWilliam, Bruce Sudds, Dianne MacTavish, Gord Miller, Cat Feraday Miller, Dan Wolfreys, Janet Heath, Mary Murphy, Emily Mercer, Jacquie Potter, Sue Steffes, and Ali McKeen.
And thank you to the volunteers who set up, served, and cleaned up, and made the whole morning feel like the community gathering it was meant to be.
If you couldn’t make it, good news — the gazebo is open for the season. Come enjoy a meal in our new outdoor space the next time you’re by.
See you soon,
The Back Kitchen Team 💛