Since I arrived in Ottawa, all the city’s events seemed to have been leading up to the 150th anniversary of Canada’s independence, Canada Day. It took place on July 1st and an air of anticipation was noticeable during the days prior. Surprisingly, many locals decided to opt out of the celebrations and instead traveled elsewhere to avoid the crowds, but we decided to stay in Ottawa and brave the storm.
In preparation for the concert that was to take place on Parliament Hill main streets were closed and security measures installed. Tents were set up where police would perform security checks on people before they were able to enter Parliament Hill. The lines of people waiting to be admitted were very long and some even ended up waiting for over 5 hours. In light of recent terrorist attacks in the UK, Parliament Hill was lined with a row of trucks acting as a barricade to prevent any vehicles from entering the area. Police were also patrolling parts of the city, weapons always at the ready.
The morning started out with a performance by Buffy Sainte-Marie and Prince Charles and Prime Minister Trudeau’s family greeting the crowd. Unfortunately, the air show was cancelled due to cloudy weather, but one jet did fly over and I could even hear it from my house. The sound was so loud that neighbors left their houses gazed up into the sky hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
Understanding that there was practically no way to get to the center of the city by car, we took the bus. The buses were so backed up, our driver let us quickly escape to the sidewalk, so as not to imprison us in an infinite line of buses, from which he would not have been allowed to let us out. Nobody looked forward to spending their Canada Day waiting on the bus, so everyone quickly rushed to the door to take the brief opportunity, that had been given to them.
The sight outside was quite surreal – swarms of people dressed in red and white, sporting the official “Canada 150” logo and a dark cloud looming overhead.
It didn’t take long for the rain to start to pour. All of the sudden, umbrellas popped up left and right, and people rushed to find spots to take shelter from the rain.
Almost all the spaces under ledges were occupied. If it hadn’t been for a kind police officer, who offered us his spot under a ledge by Chateau Laurier, we would have been out of luck.
Seeing everyone in their plastic rain coats created a sense of unity and joint annoyance at the ever-fluctuating Ottawa weather, which seemed oddly Canadian.
Parks were now muddy and even Parliament Hill was scattered with puddles, which had to be drained, delaying the lines. The rain would stop and start periodically, so it was important to use the brief moments of dry to their full potential.
A sigh of relief was felt after the rain finally subsided for the last time that day. People resumed their walking and a warm light filled the streets, reflecting off the water, that had been tormenting the city just moments before.
Some people were already so wet that they just decided to embrace it and went swimming in the fountain.
After the sun had set and the concert on Parliament Hill ended, the fireworks began. They were not just red and white, but also green and pink and purple and blue. My favorites were the gold ones, reminiscent of pixie dust.
At around midnight, we walked home through the city, because the buses were all full. It seemed like some celebrations had only just begun. The pubs at ByWard Market were full and a group of people stood in the street singing “Despacito”.
Despite the rainy weather, it seemed that Canada Day had been an adventure and the downpour added to the surreal feeling of it all.