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OTTAWA \u2014 Canadians took to parks and civic squares across the country Tuesday to show unity on Canada Day, amid American threats, economic uncertainty and Western alienation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve decided not to pull apart and fight, but to come together and to build. Because that\u2019s the Canadian way,\u201d Prime Minister Mark Carney said to thousands of Canadians gathered in Ottawa.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s festivities at Ottawa\u2019s LeBreton Flats Park got the royal treatment, with Prince Edward praising Canada\u2019s unity and accomplishments.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing this sea of red and white, there is only one sense that I have here,\u201d the Duke of Edinburgh said. \u201cToday is truly a celebration of you, and your home and your land, strong and free.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leaders gave speeches interlaced with musical performances, Indigenous cultural demonstrations and multiple flypasts of Snowbirds military jets. The federal Heritage Department counted 8,000 people attending the afternoon ceremony.<\/p>\n
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon told the crowd that the country is on a journey of reconciliation that began by listening to each other, by honouring the past and \u201cholding space for the pain and resilience\u201d of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\n
\u201cKindness is the thread that weaves our communities together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In Carney\u2019s first national holiday since taking office in March, the prime minister touched on moments in Canada\u2019s history of coming together, from the Battle of Vimy Ridge to the role of Gander, N.L., in supporting people whose flights were grounded after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur economy is being attacked by a trade war we didn\u2019t start,\u201d he said, alluding to U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s series of tariffs on Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur values are being tested by attacks on democracy and freedoms \u2014 attacks that we must resist. And once again, as the world is becoming more divided and dangerous, Canadians are uniting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carney used his speech to tout legislation his government passed to speed up the permitting of major projects, despite Bill C-5 attracting controversy from environmentalists, Indigenous groups and democracy advocates.<\/p>\n
He called on Canadians to show the same industrious spirit that got the St. Lawrence Seaway built and 1967 Expo in Montreal, and to \u201cbuild, baby, build\u201d in the face of U.S. economic threats.<\/p>\n
Canada Day this year coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag and the 45th anniversary of the official adoption of \u201cO Canada\u201d as the national anthem.<\/p>\n
The ceremony also marked the 45th anniversary of Terry Fox\u2019s Marathon of Hope. Federal Canadian Identity Minister Steven Guilbeault noted that Terry\u2019s younger brother Darrell was present, as part of a team of cyclists biking 7,000 kilometres from Vancouver to St. John\u2019s.<\/p>\n
He also noted the passing of \u201cremarkable Canadians and Indigenous Peoples we lost\u201d over the past year, including actor Donald Sutherland and the former head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Murray Sinclair.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir legacies live on, in the people they inspired, the change they sparked, and the Canada they helped build,\u201d Guilbeault said.<\/p>\n
In Alberta, where talk of separation from Canada has dominated much of the political discussion following the Liberals win in April\u2019s federal election, hundreds soaked up the sun on the legislature grounds in Edmonton.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud to be Canadian and standing strong for Canada,\u201d said Alice Rutto, who noted talk of separation is what prompted her to come out for the celebrations.<\/p>\n
But Jack O\u2019Brien had mixed views. While he said Canada Day is a day for \u201ceveryone to come together\u201d and isn\u2019t the time for independence talk, his views about Canada will be different on July 2.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the time for us to celebrate Canada, correct? But if you ask me tomorrow about separation, it\u2019s a whole different story,\u201d said O\u2019Brien, who lives in a rural community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a fan of the Liberal government and I would think a majority of Albertans are not, and to be honest, if they wanted to separate and wanted my vote, they would get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In front of Toronto City Hall, hundreds gathered at Nathan Phillips Square to take pictures in front of the three-dimensional Toronto sign, while enjoying live music and dance performances.<\/p>\n
Phoenix Deluca said she drove in from Peterborough, Ont., with her friends visiting from Scotland so they could join the celebrations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice to show off Canada,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m very proud to be Canadian.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlos Gama immigrated to Canada three years ago from Brazil, and said he\u2019s spent every Canada Day since then in downtown Toronto. He said he\u2019ll be celebrating with \u201cpoutine and other Canadian foods.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Ottawa, Simon invested six individuals into the Order of Canada during the ceremony, including actor Ryan Reynolds and musician Heather Rankin.<\/p>\n
The evening show in Ottawa will feature artists like Sarah McLachlan, Coeur de Pirate, Brenda Montana, Dear Rogue and Alex Wells.<\/p>\n
The Ottawa event is again taking place west of Parliament Hill in the LeBreton Flats area as Centre Block continues renovations that are scheduled to last another seven years.<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n