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

Parks and public areas throughout the nation teemed with flag-waving revellers on Monday as hundreds of individuals marked Canada Day, with many — together with newly minted residents — celebrating the distinctive privileges that include being Canadian.

Beneath a cloudless July sky, hundreds of individuals wearing pink and white made their technique to Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats Park for the annual celebrations within the nationwide capital.

Individuals had been in excessive spirits as they strolled down Wellington Road to the pageant website, taking the airport-style safety checks and porta-potties in stride. The solar was blazing by the point issues bought underway at midday, and lots of ducked underneath umbrellas they introduced for shade.

Algonquin elder Claudette Commanda opened the occasions with an Indigenous reflection, speaking in regards to the significance of the canoe as an emblem of hope and therapeutic.

“Study from the previous, admire the current and honour the longer term, for the longer term belongs to the youngsters. Collectively allow us to journey in peace and friendship,” she mentioned.

Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland additionally spoke. Freeland was greeted with loud cheers as she mentioned it was time to put aside “our nationwide modesty” and declare that Canada is the most effective nation on this planet.

“Most significantly, ours is a rustic of fine, variety folks,” she mentioned.

Freeland was there instead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who provided greetings by way of a recorded video whereas he attended occasions in St. John’s, N.L.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, July 1 begins as Memorial Day, a time to honour troopers who’ve died in fight.

This 12 months marked the one centesimal anniversary of the Nationwide Struggle Memorial in St. John’s, and Trudeau attended an interment ceremony for a soldier from Newfoundland who died on the battlefields in France throughout the First World Struggle.

The Unknown Soldier was flown dwelling from France in Might and was laid to relaxation on Monday in a black granite tomb.

Trudeau additionally attended a Canada Day get together at an enviornment in close by Mount Pearl. He shook arms, took selfies and hoisted infants for about 20 minutes as youngsters jumped in bouncy castles and native band KitchenParti performed just a few conventional Newfoundland people songs.

Again in Ottawa, Melchor Turdanes travelled from Winnipeg to look at his son carry out with a choir group. His pleasure was palpable as he defined it was his first journey to the capital within the 17 years he’s lived in Canada.

“It’s superior, everyone right here is pleasant and we just like the environment,” he mentioned.

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

Greater than 40 planes, helicopters and jets buzzed over Parliament Hill, making their method alongside the Ottawa River to the principle stage the place the group craned their necks to see the “parade within the sky.”

The plane represented the previous, current and way forward for the Royal Canadian Air Drive, defined the 2 commanders on stage who launched each in flip — from Second World Struggle-era planes to trendy Chinook and Cyclone helicopters.

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

Canada has a $19-billion deal to purchase 88 of the jets, however the first of them gained’t arrive till 2026. This pair was flown in by the Vermont Air Nationwide Guard.

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

“I’m proud to be Canadian, a Quebec Canadian as nicely,” mentioned Morgan, who got here in from Valcourt, Que., for the day. “I like what Canada stands for: pleasant, open.”

At Thomson Memorial Park in Toronto, households arrange picnics and youngsters performed on inflatable bouncy castles.

“Truthfully, (Canada Day) didn’t actually imply that a lot to me till I had my circle of relatives, and now it means much more,” mentioned Darren Yeh, who has attended the festivities in Toronto for the final 5 or 6 years. “I’m very fortunate to journey around the globe. I’ve seen different locations and Canada is a good place to reside.”

Eight-year-old Diya Patel mentioned Canada is an exquisite place.

“It’s enjoyable to have buddies and study new issues and discover a variety of new stuff,” she mentioned.

Bhuwan Ghimire, who immigrated to Canada from Nepal in 2015, mentioned he hopes all Canadians will attempt to get alongside and “work with one another slightly than in opposition to one another.”

“Let’s make it a greater nation,” he mentioned.

His nine-year-old son, Shuvam, was notably excited in regards to the bouncy castles. “I really like this place,” he mentioned. “The whole lot’s been enjoyable.”

In Vancouver, 40 folks from 18 international locations turned Canadian residents in a ceremony to mark the start of the festivities at Canada Place.

Magnificence Mosquiola got here from the Philippines 10 years in the past and her husband, Dwight Santillan, joined her in 2020. The pair mentioned changing into residents was a momentous a part of their journey as a pair.

“I’m so blessed. I’m so grateful and grateful for Vancouver, for British Columbia, for Canada to present me a chance to be a Canadian citizen on the similar time we have fun Canada Day,” Santillan mentioned.

Nicolaj Erhold, who is an element Danish and half Austrian, mentioned having the ability to attend his citizenship ceremony in individual slightly than nearly was notably particular.

“I simply wish to get began on my future right here. Canada has turn into my dwelling and I simply really feel much more linked now that I’ve turn into a citizen,” he mentioned.

Leslie Benisz has attended every Canada Day citizenship ceremony since 1990 and calls them the spotlight of the vacation.

Benisz, who took his citizenship oath in 1980 after spending his first 10 years in Israel, mentioned he doesn’t take the freedoms in Canada without any consideration.

“I’ve met so many individuals who generally danger their lives to return right here. They had been generally coming from locations the place their lives had been at risk or the place they didn’t have the identical rights we have now,” he mentioned.

Not all cities marked the event of their standard model. The organizers of Montreal’s Canada Day parade introduced final month the occasion had been cancelled, citing politics and logistical pink tape for the transfer.

The celebrations within the nationwide capital will likely be capped off by a fireworks show on the LeBreton Flats Park round 10 p.m.

Final 12 months’s file wildfire season disrupted fireworks reveals in numerous cities throughout the nation due to air high quality issues, however that has not been an element on this 12 months’s festivities.

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

— With recordsdata from Ashley Joannou in Vancouver, Sarah Smellie in St. John’s, N.L., and Rianna Lim in Toronto

Sarah Ritchie and Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press