The Canada Day crowd in Shelburne today will have an opportunity to see two kinds of progress: Russian hockey players as a team in a Canadian league, and an addition to Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex that includes an installation of “ice” that won’t melt.

Yes, said Shelburne CAO John Telfer, it’s actually plastic you can skate on, although there won’t be a large enough surface to have a hockey game on it today.

Nonetheless, people are being invited to lace up their skates and see what it’s like to skate on plastic under a blazing hot sun.

Today’s celebration – the 143rd – unofficially started at the Royal Canadian Legion Warrior’s Hall at 9 a.m. with a pancake breakfast scheduled to end at 12:30 p.m.

The official opening at 3 p.m. on the Agricultural Fairgrounds was billed as a 30-minute event of speeches by dignitaries, the blessing and a flagraising by 164 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets.

Pony Rides, Face Painting, Mini-Tractor Pull Competition, Kids Activity Area including Inflatable Bouncy Castles, Skating (Skate 365) and Farmapalooza were to follow, along with an Idol competition as well as a performance by the 2009 Idol, and the Shelburne Police bike rodeo finals.

Then, at 5 p.m., the winner of the Kinettes’ raffle was to be announced, and at 5:30 the Shelburne Idol 2010 finalists were to perform, followed by Steve Baker’s magic show. After the award winners are announced there’ll be a performance by Shelburne’s 2010 Idol.

Somewhere around 5:30, Whitfield Farms were to fire up a barbecue that was expected to continue as long needed.

The giant fireworks display was to get under way at 10 p.m.

As for the CDRC construction site, if all goes as scheduled, you’ll be able to enter the addition by the end of September. You should be able to go into the main arena where the old dressing rooms will have been revamped as part of the overall project.

In spite of the construction, the annual fiddle contest will go on as usual.

In the addition, you’ll encounter a reception desk, administration offices and storage, new pool dressing rooms, including an accessible/family dressing room, and the elevator on the lower level. There are also new pool access points here. stairs to the upper level, and you’ll emerge in a foyer off of which there are several washrooms, including an accessible one, and two meeting rooms — one that splits into two with a folding wall, and the other with a view over the swimming pool. This one includes a kitchen.

Although funding for the project is largely through stimulus programs, there is still a lot of money needed for a variety of things required to get the optimal use of the facility.

The CDRC committee and service clubs are seeking your support in their fundraising efforts.