Canada Day festivities attract hundreds at ceremonies, parties across the country

CITYnews halifax / By Sarah Ritchie and Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press

The Maple Leaf flew on lampposts, flagpoles and patios across the country on Monday as cities from coast to coast welcome thousands of revellers for Canada Day.

Under a cloudless July sky, thousands of people dressed in red and white made their way to Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats Park for the annual Canada Day celebrations in the national capital.

People were in high spirits as they strolled down Wellington Street to the festival site, taking the airport-style security checks and porta-potties in stride. The sun was blazing by the time things got underway at noon, and many ducked under umbrellas they brought for shade.

Algonquin elder Claudette Commanda opened the events with an Indigenous reflection. With a small wooden canoe on stage beside her, Commanda spoke about its importance to Indigenous Peoples. Using the canoe as a symbol of hope and healing, she said Indigenous and Canadian children will journey together.

“Learn from the past, appreciate the present and honour the future, for the future belongs to the children. Together let us journey in peace and friendship,” she said.

A young Indigenous dancer in regalia, an Inuk drummer and a Métis dancer performed during the reflection before they were joined by three other children. The elders and children passed the canoe to one another as a drummer performed an honour song.

Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also spoke. Freeland was greeted with loud cheers as she said it was time to set aside “our national modesty” and declare that Canada is the best country in the world.

“Most importantly, ours is a country of good, kind people,” she said.

Freeland was there in place of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who offered greetings via a recorded video while he attended events in St. John’s, N.L. There was a ripple of surprise through the crowd when Freeland introduced the Liberal leader and he appeared on a screen instead of in person.

The prime minister took part in a ceremony to mark 100 years of the Newfoundland National War Memorial and the interment of the remains of a First World War soldier as Newfoundlanders marked Memorial Day.

Back in Ottawa, Melchor Turdanes travelled from Winnipeg to watch his son perform with a choir group. His excitement was palpable as he explained it was his first trip to the capital in the 17 years he’s lived in Canada.

“It’s awesome, everybody here is friendly and we like the atmosphere,” he said.

After musical performances by Bedouin Soundclash and Montreal artist Marie-Mai, attendees turned their eyes to the skies.

More than 40 planes, helicopters and jets buzzed over Parliament Hill, making their way along the Ottawa River to the main stage where the crowd craned their necks to see the “parade in the sky.”

The aircraft represented the past, present and future of the Royal Canadian Air Force, explained the two commanders on stage who introduced each one in turn — from Second World War-era planes to modern Chinook and Cyclone helicopters.

The grand finale featured the tremendous roar of a pair of F-35 fighter jets, travelling at more than 350 knots, or around 650 km/h.

Canada has a $19-billion deal to buy 88 of the jets, but the first of them won’t arrive until 2026. This pair was flown in by the Vermont Air National Guard.

It was, for Garrett Morgan and his five-year-old son Owen, a true highlight of the day.

“I’m proud to be Canadian, a Quebec Canadian as well,” said Morgan, who came in from Valcourt, Que., for the day. “I like what Canada stands for: friendly, open.”

At Thomson Memorial Park in Toronto, families set up picnics and children played on inflatable bouncy castles.

“Honestly, (Canada Day) didn’t really mean that much to me until I had my own family, and now it means a lot more,” said Darren Yeh, who has attended the festivities in Toronto for the last five or six years. “I’m very lucky to travel around the world. I’ve seen other places and Canada is a great place to live.”

Eight-year-old Diya Patel said Canada is a beautiful place.

“It’s fun to have friends and learn new things and explore a lot of new stuff,” she said.

Bhuwan Ghimire, who immigrated to Canada from Nepal in 2015, said he hopes all Canadians will try to get along and “work with each other rather than against each other.”

“Let’s make it a better country,” he said.

Meanwhile, his nine-year-old son, Shuvam, was particularly excited about the bouncy castles. “I love this place,” he said. “Everything’s been fun.”

By afternoon, many sought relief from the heat in the shade of trees and on the banks of the Ottawa River, which was filled with all manner of small boats.

The celebrations in the national capital will be capped off by a fireworks display at the LeBreton Flats Park around 10 p.m.

Last year’s record wildfire season disrupted fireworks shows in a number of cities across the country because of air quality concerns, but that has not been a factor in this year’s festivities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2024.

Sarah Ritchie and Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press