Other nations have to make do with barn fowl and wind-up alarms to make sure they're awake.
Canada's got Ashley MacIsaac.
Crowning a busy Canada Day of festivities in Toronto, Maritime fiddler MacIsaac will bring his own fiery rendition of patriotic jubilance -- or some stimulating facsimile of it -- to the outdoor stage at Mel Lastman Square on July 1.
He's preceded there during a 7 p.m. concert by Celtic rockers Enter the Haggis, Juno winners The Irish Descendants and nine-year-old opera singer Aria Tesalin.
Earlier in the day, a noon festivity at Nathan Phillips Square features Toronto jazz and funk artist Nick Ali and Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale.
"If previous years are any indication, we are hoping for 10,000 [visitors] at Nathan Phillips Square and 20,000 in Mel Lastman Square," said Amber Authier, municipal supervisor for special events.
While confidence is soft on the matter of visitors from south of the border being present in their usual robust numbers, the July 1 holiday marking 136 years of Confederation will be in full voice around the city.
"We're not expecting the SARS issue to have a significant impact now," said Jackie Chiu, media relations officer for Ontario Place. "The problem has been limited to hospitals."
To wit, Ontario Place again culminates its July 1 celebration with the third evening of its Festival of Fire displays at 10:30 p.m.
It's a fireworks extravaganza that can generally be viewed from across the whole southern end of the city.
Daytime activities at the provincial facility include live children's entertainment and the 48th Highlanders marching band.
Meanwhile, Canada Then and Now will be a multimedia festival running at Harbourfront Centre, with a special schedule of concerts on July 1, including artists Pamela Morgan, Le Vent du Nord, Silver Hearts, Serena Ryder, Jian Ghomeshi and Ian Bell & the Dawnbreakers.
"These are people telling Canadian identity stories, songwriters who are classic and representative of the Canadian tradition of storytelling," said Derek Andrews, Harbourfront music programmer.
"Canada Day is a huge day for the public here," he added. "It's a day where people feel like getting together and being with all the other folks of the city. It's one of the days where we have the greatest cross-section of people from all over Toronto."
No doubt, although on the diversity front the CHIN International Picnic probably runs second to none with its flocks of up to 400,000 people at Exhibition Place during four days (June 28-July 1).
Organized by the multicultural radio station and featuring a candidly retro bikini contest, the picnic offers ethnic-themed segments of live entertainment and stakes its place along the waterfront in a kind of continuum with Ontario Place festivities.
CHIN public promotions manager Ron Sears said the event is publicized in such Ontario cities as Windsor and Ottawa, while many U.S. visitors have simply become perennials through word of mouth.
Mr. Sears said he isn't anticipating any sag in attendance this year. "Of course, the SARS thing is a concern," he said, "but people are just staying away from the medical buildings."
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