Maple leaves in hair, djembe workshops, inflatable castles and Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys: Clock Tower Quay hosted Canada Day festivities in Montreal on Monday, which this year was stripped of its parade.
This did not, however, prevent several thousand people from gathering at the eastern end of the Old Port, between the Ferris Wheel and the Clock Tower, a number to which were added many tourists and other curious people already present in the area.
The heat did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants either, who were able to enjoy a sunny day and had to pull out their water bottles several times.
For the occasion, the activities on the day’s menu were very diverse: acrobatic performances, “100% participatory and ambulatory” African percussion, relaxation area, face painting for children, cannon shots, etc.
The crowd of all ages, who did not hesitate to wear red, seemed however sparse in the afternoon, when compared to the tide of people who flooded the Old Port on this beautiful first day of July. However, it was well filled in the evening.
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PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Young Delsa had a flower painted on her cheek; one of the many activities offered in Montreal.
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PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
People of all ages and backgrounds gathered in the Old Port, most with at least a touch of red, like the Avtar-Singh family.
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PHOTO BLAIR GABLE, REUTERS
In Ottawa, thousands of people gathered at LeBreton Flats Park were able to see more than 40 planes, helicopters and jets fly over Parliament Hill…
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PHOTO SPENCER COLBY, THE CANADIAN PRESS
…and hear Marie-Mai!
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PHOTO PAUL DALY, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in St. John’s to celebrate 100e anniversary of the Newfoundland National War Memorial and participate in a burial ceremony for an unknown soldier who died on the battlefields of France during the First World War.
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PHOTO FRANK GUNN, THE CANADIAN PRESS
In addition to a celebration at Thomson Memorial Park, the Canadian metropolis celebrated Canada Day by unfurling a gigantic maple leaf before a baseball game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Houston Astros.
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PHOTO DAVID LIPNOWSKI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Citizenship ceremonies were held across the country, including this photo of newly Canadian Gurdeep Singh receiving a small flag from Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.
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PHOTO DARREN CALABRESE, THE CANADIAN PRESS
The weather that delighted Quebec and Ontario on Monday didn’t extend to the Maritimes, so many celebrations had to be cancelled, such as this photo of a woman sitting alone on a bench in Halifax. Fireworks there have been postponed until Friday.
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Celebrations were also held across the country. In Ottawa, the largest crowd gathered on LeBreton Flats, which was treated to the traditional show, moments of Indigenous reflection and a flyover by military aircraft, among other things.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in St. John’s to mark the 100th anniversary.e anniversary of the Newfoundland National War Memorial. However, rain marred some of the celebrations in the Maritimes, particularly in Halifax.
A party for all
The atmosphere was particularly family-friendly on Monday in Old Montreal; keeping count of the number of strollers and little monsters energized by the maple products distributed on the site was proving difficult.
The many games and installations for children that punctuated the site made many people happy. “There were a lot more children than we thought,” admits Jessica, one of the organizers, who was in the process of deflating a castle.
The different cultural communities found throughout the country were also particularly well represented among the crowd; dozens of languages were heard, in addition to seeing soccer jerseys from teams from all over the world.
As elsewhere in Canada, a swearing-in ceremony for new citizens was held in the afternoon.
“As a French person of origin, it is important to support Canada, the host country,” says Valérie, who was also at the Saint-Jean gathering at Maisonneuve Park a week earlier. “It is a country of welcome, tolerance and integration,” adds her friend Lucie, also from France.
“I’m here for the show, and to talk about Canada, which is still the country I live in,” explains Stéphane Bonhomme – who insists on saying that he is “French Canadian”, and not just “Canadian”.
“The Old Port is THE place!” adds the Canada Day regular, petting his cute (but not very docile) dog, Boogie.
The evening was marked by the show of DJ Hools, who chose none other than Shooting Starsfrom the Cowboys Fringants, to open his program, before branching off towards the little Canadian TNT, Old Town Road And I Gotta Feeling, to name just a few.
Finally, the celebrations concluded with fireworks at around 10 p.m., to the great delight of the crowd still large in the Old Port.
With The Canadian Press