Canada Day Celebrations

Two days ago was Canada Day and Canadians were out celebrating Canada’s 146th birthday. Being the capital, I find the city of Ottawa is very enthusiastic and patriotic during the holiday. Every year there is a concert at parliament hill followed by fireworks in the evening. Busy streets in the downtown core get shut down to allow pedestrian traffic and nearly everyone is wearing red and white.

Compared to all the Canadian cities I’ve been to, I find people in Ottawa really party on Canada Day. Given that this might be my last summer in Ottawa for a few years, I decided to take advantage of the occasion and brave the crowds and noise of downtown. It was a busy day. First I went to a barbecue with my sister Melanie, which was hosted by our friend Brianna. There we lounged on the patio and enjoyed the milder weather.

In the late afternoon I headed downtown where I ran into my friend, Rey. Together we went around the crowded streets of the market and people watched. It was a sea of day drinkers and red and white clothing. We even went up to parliament hill to check out the stage and the crowd that had gathered there to watch the concert.

Later in the evening Rey and I headed to a friend’s apartment to watch the fireworks from a balcony. From there we could see the fireworks just over the rooftops, and  we relaxed with some drinks and pizza. It was an exciting and busy day, and I still feel like I’m recovering from it a few days later.

So happy 146th birthday Canada! And many more to come!