Ottawa celebrations and fireworks amid air quality concerns
On the occasion of Canada Day, activities began on Saturday morning around federal Parliament Hill, where Justin Trudeau delivered a message to the crowd gathered in front of the stage, extolling the strengths of the country. Bad weather, however, interrupted the festivities in the federal capital, while other activities had to be adapted or canceled due to poor air quality.
Ottawa’s big fireworks show still went ahead, despite concerns about smog. Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto and Halifax have also all chosen to go ahead with their fireworks.
Other big cities, however, did not take this risk. After the cancellation of the fireworks for the Fête nationale du Québec last weekend, those for the feast of the 1er July suffered the same fate in Montreal and Quebec. Montreal still celebrated Canada Day with the return of the parade to downtown. Vancouver, meanwhile, cited rising costs as the reason for canceling its lights, a move that will now be permanent for the British Columbian metropolis.