ADDING UP NUMBERS FOR SUNDAY’S PARADE
Coderre says he’s ready to paint the city green
Mayor Denis Coderre says he’s ready to paint the city green as Montreal kicks off a week of celebrations that will culminate in the 194th St. Patrick’s Parade Sunday at noon from the corner of Fort and Ste-Catherine Sts.
Here’s a quick breakdown of one of the city’s oldest celebrations.
120
The number of groups that will be represented at this year’s parade. Organizers say a special emphasis will be placed on First Nations as one of Montreal’s founding people. The Kahnawake Mohawk fire brigade, peacekeepers and a group of powwow dancers are all slated to march along Ste-Catherine St. Sunday. As usual, high schools and cultural groups from Montreal’s diverse communities will be on hand.
3,000
The number of people marching in the parade. While hundreds of thousands turn out to see the show every March, organizing the parade is a year-long affair that requires a small army of volunteers working with the United Irish Societies. There are Irish dancers, bagpipe bands, rugby teams and clowns. Yes, clowns. If you have a clown phobia, you can’t say you weren’t warned.
30,000
The amount, in dollars, of the city’s contribution to Sunday’s parade. This year, the city will also kick in $65,000 for activities that honour the role of Irish immigrants as one of five founding peoples of Montreal.
22
The number of floats that will pass along Ste-Catherine St. Sunday. This year will be the first time tractor-trailers won’t be used to tow floats. Organizers say this will make the parade safer following the death of a 20-year-old at the parade in 2010. The young man was run over by a float.
194
The parade’s age in years. Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Parade is one of the oldest such celebrations in the city. It began 44 years before Confederation.