Marie Woolf, The Canadian Press Published Friday, July 1, 2022, 8:37 a.m. EDT Last Updated Friday, July 1, 2022, 7:45 p.m. EDT
OTTAWA – Thousands of revelers who flocked to the nation’s capital for Canada Day festivities heard a rousing call for unity Friday as the prime minister urged them to reclaim the maple leaf as a national symbol.
The exhortation from Justin Trudeau and other dignitaries came on another potentially divisive day in Ottawa, as those who intended to mark the first in-person Canada Day celebrations since the COVID-19 pandemic honored the event alongside protesters opposing the mandates for public health and the current Liberal government. Canadian flags became an important symbol for like-minded demonstrators in January and February, when they staged a long protest downtown that brought much of the city to a standstill.
At an early afternoon ceremony marking the 155th anniversary of Canadian confederation, Trudeau urged residents to remember the values the maple leaf stands for, including compassion, hope and justice.
“It represents our achievements and our desire to improve,” Trudeau said of the national emblem. “Let us remember that while we are 38 million people living in six time zones from coast to coast to coast, we only have one country to share, protect and cherish.”
Trudeau was joined by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who told the crowd, dressed mostly in red and white, that he was proud to see the maple leaf in widespread use.
The official ceremony took place off Parliament Hill for the first time in 50 years, according to Heritage Canada, citing ongoing construction in Center Block. Instead, festivities were held at nearby LeBreton Flats Park, as well as another location across the river in Gatineau, Que. Among those who traveled across the country to celebrate Canada Day in Ottawa were Donna Marzolf and her 12-year-old daughter, Alexis Livingston, who came from Calgary to take part in the celebration and secure front-row seats on the main stage.
Alexis, wearing a maple leaf T-shirt and carrying a small Canadian flag, said she was especially excited to see her twin sister Sophia perform O Canada at the festivities as part of the Calgary Children’s Choir.
The twins’ mother said the day was a celebration of “peace, safety and freedom – even though that has a bad connotation at the moment”.
Heightened security welcomed locals and visitors alike to the nation’s capital Friday for the first in-person Canada Day events in Ottawa since 2019.
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Police maintained a visible presence downtown, with groups of officers walking the streets and patrol cars lining the entrance to LeBreton Flats Park.
Visitors had to pass through airport-like metal detectors and have their bags searched before entering.
Despite high security, the atmosphere was relaxed and Trudeau took time to meet and greet members of the crowd before heading to the stage for his speech.
Trudeau praised Canadians who have worked hard to improve the lives of others. He specifically cites Terry Fox, who ran across much of Canada to raise money for cancer before his death in 1981.
Trudeau’s comments could be seen as a dig at James Topp, a Canadian soldier accused of speaking out against calls for a COVID-19 vaccine. Topp walked from British Columbia to Ottawa in defiance of the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and arrived in the capital on Thursday.
The prime minister told the crowd: “Canada is for people who are constantly fighting for something instead of against.”
Similar sentiments were echoed in Trudeau’s official Canada Day message released earlier Friday, in which he said the national flag is more than a symbol.
“It is also a promise – a promise of opportunity, a promise of safety for those fleeing violence and war, and a promise of a better life,” he said.
Trudeau told a crowd in Ottawa on Friday that there have been “serious mistakes in our history” and the discovery of unmarked graves has caused pain and heartbreak.
In his official announcement, the prime minister spoke of Canada’s “historic mistakes,” saying that while we can’t change history, we can work to build a better future.
Musicians also attended the official ceremony, including New Brunswick thrash-folk singer Lisa LeBlanc, country singer Tenille Townes and Juno Award winner DJ Shub, DJ Mohawk, known as the godfather of the powwow.
Brenda Noseworthy, who came to Ottawa from Newfoundland for the official celebration, described the atmosphere at LeBreton Flats as “low.”
But she thinks people are a little more nervous than usual, citing the pandemic and protests as possible factors, adding that she supports the plan to move the celebrations from Parliament Hill.
Karen McDonald flew in from Ladner, British Columbia, and was attending her first Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa.
“It’s totally exciting for me to be here in person,” she said. “So many different people in the city are dressed in red and white, with flags. It makes my stomach hurt with pride.
The Prime Minister, Governor General Mary Simon and Rodriguez participated in an Indigenous Reflection Ceremony on the banks of the Ottawa River before attending the main Canada Day event.
Stephanie Peltier of Wikwemikong First Nation in Ontario blessed water with a sacred bundle containing tobacco, sage, sweet grass and cedar. She sang a congratulatory song as members of a circle, including the Prime Minister’s family, joined hands.
Simon, who also spoke at the official ceremony, praised Canadians for their hard work and perseverance during the pandemic, especially frontline workers.
But she said “the spirit of celebration does not cover everyone.”
“This day can also be a reminder of what we have lost,” she said, including for indigenous people who “still mourn lost culture, languages and lives.”
Numerous Canada Day celebrations will take place across the country for the rest of the day.
A series of events were planned in Montreal’s Old Port, including an outdoor concert, face painting, a giant cake and fireworks. For the third year in a row, there will be no parade in the city.
In Quebec City, activities include musical performances, a formal ceremony with the Royal Canadian Army’s 22nd Regiment and fireworks on the Plains of Abraham.
After two years of canceled or virtual celebrations, in-person Canada Day celebrations have also returned to Metro Vancouver.
The largest planned celebration was planned with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations and renamed Canada Together. It highlighted the theme of reconciliation and presented opportunities to learn more about Indigenous and other cultures that make up Canadian society, organizers said.
Festivities were supposed to include live music, exhibits, family activities and food trucks, but the annual nighttime fireworks show over Burrard Bay was canceled this year due to security costs.
Meanwhile, officials in Toronto had to scramble to reschedule some planned fireworks after the supplier contracted to put them on backed out at the last minute.
The city said that while a high-profile show will take place Friday as planned, events at two local parks have been postponed or canceled outright as a result of the problem.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 1, 2022.
– With files from Jacob Serebrin in Montreal, Brianna Charlebois in Vancouver and Jordan Omstead in Toronto.
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