WATERTOWN, NY (June 26, 2023) – In July, our two nation station celebrates holidays important to both sides of the border – Canada Day on July 1st and Independence Day on July 4th. Join WPBS-TV for a diverse selection of travelogues showcasing Canada’s natural beauty and variety on July 1st, then tune-in July 2nd through July 11th for special Fourth of July programming.
SATURDAY, JULY 1st – CANADA DAY
Canada Files: Roberta Bondar (12 noon) Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian female astronaut in space (1992) and the first ever neuroscientist. She now advocates for the environment and is a renowned nature photographer.
Canada Files: Eugene Levy (12:30 pm) Iconic comedian and actor Eugene Levy has appeared in more than 80 films, most notably American Pie and Waiting for Guffman. He has also starred in the SCTV series and in the Emmy award winning blockbuster Schitt’s Creek with his son Daniel.
Facing Waves: Rideau River (1:00 pm) Ken Whiting sets out to explore the historic Rideau Canal by mothership, sea kayak and fishing kayak.
Facing Waves: Bon Echo & 1000 Islands (1:30 pm) Ken Whiting sets out by sea kayak to explore Bon Echo Park and the Thousand Islands.
Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope: Ontario: Canada’s Niagara Peninsula (2:00 pm) On his visit to the Canadian province of Ontario, Joseph sets out to prove there’s more to the Niagara Peninsula region than world-famous Niagara Falls.
Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope: Cruising Canada-Ottawa & the Rideau Canal (2:30 pm) Joseph begins his Rideau Canal journey in Ottawa where he explores the capital’s diverse neighborhoods, historic landmarks, farmer’s markets and hip restaurants.
Epic Trails: Backpacking Quebec, Part 1 (3:00 pm) Eric Hanson backpacks along the spectacular Saguenay Fjord, before setting out on a paddling adventure in Quebec’s Laurentian mountains.
Epic Trails: Backpacking Quebec, Part 2 (3:30 pm) Eric Hanson battles the elements while backpacking during an early season snowstorm in Charlevoix, and then gets his adrenaline pumping with a whitewater run down the mighty Ottawa River.
SUNDAY, JULY 2ND
Independent Lens: A Day in the Life of America (2:30 pm) On July 4, 2017, more than 90 film crews across the country capture Americans in the midst of life, liberty and their particular pursuit of happiness, creating an unflinching snapshot of the depth and breadth of the American experience.Â
Mark Russell’s America (4:00 pm) Re-discover highlights of Mark Russell’s more than 100 public television specials from 1975-2004, featuring a recent interview with satirist and comedian Russell, who passed away in March 2023.
Music & the Spoken Word: Independence Day Special (6:30 pm)
TUESDAY, JULY 4th – INDEPENDENCE DAY
WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories (7:30 pm) How well do you know the origins of Independence Day and Canada Day? Test your knowledge with college-level professors.
Capitol Fourth 2023 (8:00 pm) The 43rd annual edition of America’s longest-running live national Independence Day TV tradition, returns from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Viewers are front and center for our country’s biggest birthday party.
TUESDAY, JULY 11TH
Iconic America: Our Symbols & Stories – The Statue of Liberty (10:00 pm) Reveal the evolving meaning of this symbol for a “nation of immigrants,” and how it embodies our values and our conflicts, from abolition and women’s suffrage to the treatment of refugees.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Â
