“It’s a little bit smaller, but it doesn’t matter. But in the downtown core itself, hundreds of people packed a 12-block route to take in the city’s first Canada Day parade since 2019. Many of the festivities held in honour of the 156th anniversary of Canada’s confederation unfolded under hazy skies clouded over with smog from recent wildfires.Īir quality warnings blanketed much of Quebec and prompted the cancellation of fireworks displays in Montreal and many of its on-island suburbs. “That’s Canada’s advantage in the world now more than ever,” he said. He said the country has withstood challenges, like wildfires and war in Europe, by showing compassion, engagement, openness and democracy. READ MORE: 30 new Canadians take citizenship oath at Vancouver ceremony on Canada Day “People are coming to Canada to proudly call it their home and build their lives and our communities and our country, all together,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a cheering crowd at a Canada Day ceremony in Ottawa. Municipalities across the country marked a return to the kinds of celebrations seen before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted years worth of cancellations, though for some the return to normalcy was marred by air quality and weather conditions that forced them to nix marquee events like fireworks shows.īut at the parades, concerts and tributes that did proceed, Canadians and dignitaries alike took time to highlight traditions from Indigenous peoples and cultures around the world.
The sounds of Indigenous drumming rang out alongside songs and cheers in honour of Canada Day on Saturday as Canadians from coast to coast gathered to celebrate the diversity and freedom they say make the country special.