OTTAWA Canadians from across the country descended on Parliament Hill Monday to sing dance and celebrate the country s 146th birthday.
The Hill was a sea of red and white by noon when the official program kicked off with a rendition of God Save the Queen and O Canada.
Joanna and Jeremy from St. John s Newfoundland were in town to fulfill one of Jeremy s lifelong dreams to spend Canada Day on Parliament Hill.
It s been on my bucket list he said grinning as he waited in line to get past the front gates.
Sharon Howse from Lac Labiche Alberta was also a first timer. She was sitting with a friend Blair Morris in a shady spot across the street from the Peace Tower. Howse s great great grandfather was Joseph Howse the first European to cross the Rockies but after growing up two hours northeast of Edmonton the younger Howse just moved back east to Belleville.
Being so close to the capital she said she couldn t miss the opportunity to spend Canada s birthday on the Hill. The mid day ceremonies included performances by singers Carly Rae Jepsen and Marie Mai the band Metric and a special appearance by astronaut Chris Hadfield. There was also the traditional fly past by the Snowbirds the RCAF s acrobatics team.
Away from the festivities near Parliament which was packed wall to wall with revelers many people took a quick walk down to Victoria Island for some demonstrations of Indigenous culture. Visitors were treated to traditional dancing from ladies in fancy shawl dancing to hoop dancing and jingle dancing. The group encouraged questions from the audience and invited guests to use Google to find out where the next gathering would be in their area. Everyone is welcome they said.
Meanwhile over in Jacques Cartier park Army Warrant Officer Darrell Bishop celebrated Canada Day by doing pinwheels barrel rolls butterflies and other acrobatics in the sky.
Bishop is the team second in command for the SkyHawks the Canadian military s parachuting performers.
It s a big deal to come to Ottawa and represent the military he said. The SkyHawks has members from the Navy Army and Air Force.
Share your photos from Canada Day with us at ottawacitizen.com/mypics
On Monday the descending daredevils were dropping over Jacques Cartier Park to the delight of an excited crowd encircling the landing zone.
The SkyHawks jumped out of a C 130 Hercules plane at 6 000 feet deploying their Canadian flag parachutes.
The groups of three or four jumpers performed canopy relative work guiding themselves together to make impressive formations as they fell to the Earth at 1 000 feet per minute. Some parachuters trailed enormous flags behind them or emitted streams of red smoke.
Every running landing was met with cheers from the onlookers as the parachutes cascaded over the jumpers.
With the show complete the SkyHawks invited the audience to help them pack their parachutes.
It s nice to get out and see different parts of the country and meet everyone who comes to see us said Bishop.
The SkyHawks are off to the Calgary Stampede next.
Earlier in the day forty six newcomers earned the right to officially call themselves Canadians following a special Canada Day citizenship ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.
{ 0 comments... Views All / Send Comment! }
Post a Comment