‘This is the place to party’
Thunderstorm doesn’t dampen celebrations in the capital
Tens of thousands of Canada Day partiers weren’t about to let a little rain — OK, a lot of rain — ruin the festivities Friday as they gathered in groups large and small across the capital to celebrate the country’s 149th birthday.
By mid-afternoon, the RCMP estimated, more than 35,000 were in front of the Parliament Buildings, enjoying the music and visits from Gov. Gen. David Johnston and his wife Sharon Johnston, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, and other dignitaries and entertainers.
And by early evening Mother Nature’s show took centre stage as a severe thunderstorm hit Ottawa. That prompted many to leave Parliament Hill, anticipating that the fireworks scheduled for later that evening would be called off, but the skies cleared enough for the show to go on.
Earlier in the day, Lucinda Rajaselvan had been right up along the steel barricades when Trudeau made a ceremonious exit near the Centennial Flame.
“I managed to get a good spot, and as he was passing by I got a chance to shake his hand,” said Rajaselvan, still overwhelmed by the experience.
She’d recently moved from Toronto, and this year was her first Canada Day in the capital, she said.
“There are just so many events to do, so many things to see and sights to take in. The whole day has so far been so exciting. I don’t even know what word to describe it,” said Rajaselvan.
Jacqueline Hollenbeck stood with a Canadian flag draped over her shoulder as Metric performed Breathing Underwater — a crowd favourite.
“I love Parliament Hill. It is a beautiful area here. It’s lovely to see so many people gathered together for one cause — for Canada,” she said.
Hollenbeck travelled to Ottawa from her home in Montreal that morning — a Canada Day practice that she’s done many time before.
“In Quebec they don’t celebrate (Canada Day) in the same way. You don’t see the flag waving, you don’t see red and white everywhere, and I miss it because I lived in Toronto for 20 years or so,” she said.
Friends Melissa Jobin and Jean-Frédérick Gagnon also crossed the provincial border to enjoy the capital’s festivities.
“I think there’s nothing in Quebec City or Montreal for Canada Day,” Jobin said.
“This is the place to party,” chimed in Gagnon.
Friday was their eighth Canada Day in the capital, with plans for watching the fireworks, followed by attending a house party with friends.
Over on Sparks Street, the crowds were also thick, as celebrants checked out buskers and food carts and each other.
“I’m kind of amazed by this,” said Eugene Lifely, a visitor from the London, Ont., area.
“It’s kind of not the image I had of Ottawa. It’s almost out of control — in a good way.”
Although the fireworks on the Hill went off as scheduled despite the thunderstorm, other events were called off due to the bad weather.
The Stittsville Village Association shut down Canada Day activities Friday evening due to “lightning danger,” and Osgoode Village also cancelled its fireworks plans due to the weather conditions.
Even though the downtown fireworks show took place, the sheets of water, thunder and lightning drove many partiers away from the free show on the Hill and into nearby restaurants and bars on Sparks Street and in the ByWard Market.
While riders eagerly packed OC Transpo buses, which were free of charge for the day, the O -Train line went out of service in mid-afternoon, replaced by the No. 107 bus route.
As of 5 p.m., Ottawa paramedics reported they had treated and released 49 patients downtown, plus 15 more who required hospital treatment. None of the patients were in serious condition.
One of the main attractions downtown was the newly repaired sinkhole, which had disrupted traffic and commerce for more than two weeks.