Canada Day 5K Run, Walk, Wheel raises $25,100

Runners leave from the starting line of the Canada Day 5K Run, Walk and Wheel along Laird Ave. in Amherstburg July 1, 2026

Runners and walkers braved the Canada Day heat and humidity all to raise money for local conservation projects.

The Canada Day 5K Run, Walk and Wheel was held July 1 with proceeds from the event going to the Essex Region Conservation Foundation (ERCF), the fundraising arm of the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA). According to race organizer Molly Allaire, last Wednesday morning’s race brought in a record total of $25,100.

The race kept the route it is usually on, which is starting and ending in front of Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada and using Fort Malden Dr. and Dalhousie St., with the turnaround point being near the intersection of Dalhousie St. and Front Road South.

Participants make their way to the finish line of the Canada Day 5K Run, Walk & Wheel in Amherstburg Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Allaire, also a town councillor and chair of the ERCA board of directors, called the event “absolutely amazing and breathtaking” with a lot of Canadian spirit shown by the runners and people along the route. People in the community were aiding runners by doing everything from handing out Timbits to having sprinklers cool down the participants.

“I want to thank everyone for what they’ve done to make this race truly iconic,” she said. “We had over 60 volunteers.”

Helping to operate the race and assist with timing and set up was the group Walkers and Runners Around the County of Essex (WRACE).

The Kids Dash spanned a one-kilometre route during the Canada Day 5K Run, Walk and Wheel July 1, 2026.

Sponsors were also thanked for their support of the annual race.

According to Allaire, a total of 1,026 people registered for the race but she acknowledged that some did not attend likely due to the heat. Still, the streets were still busy with runners, walkers and wheelers with 200 of them being in the 1K “kids’ dash” that preceded the 5K.

“The heat was an issue,” she said. “We tackled it the best we could.”

One of the ways organizers and volunteers dealt with the purchase of over 2,000 bottles of water. Allaire thanked Rob & Tina’s No Frills in Amherstburg for their assistance with that.

Participants came in from as far as Singapore, Scotland and Ireland, she added.

“They were here visiting family,” said Allaire.

Runners head down Fort Malden Dr. as part of the Canada Day 5K Run, Walk & Wheel in Amherstburg July 1, 2026.

In addition to the participants that came in from around the region, Allaire said others came from Toronto and the Detroit area.

“This is the biggest one yet,” she said.

The 2025 Canada Day 5K Run, Walk and Wheel had about 1,000 entrants, she said, with the 2026 edition slightly surpassing that.

“It’s the most we’ve ever fundraised,” she added.

By Ron Giofu