Quebec's St-Jean Baptiste Day celebrations return after pandemic hiatus
Quebec residents streamed into local streets, packed outdoor concert venues and geared up for a weekend of in-person celebrations on Friday as they marked the provincial holiday of St-Jean Baptiste Day.
The return to public festivities came after two years worth of broad cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and residents lost no time in getting back into the celebratory spirit.
Tanya Dupont turned up for Friday festivities in Montreal alongside her five-year-old daughter, with the pair sporting matching tank tops featuring Quebec's floral emblem.
"We missed celebrating the St-Jean Baptiste Day," Dupont said. "My daughter was so excited to take her outfit out again!"

Celebrations for the 188th edition of St-Jean Baptiste festivities kicked off with major concerts in Quebec City and Montreal on Thursday evening, where thousands of attendees donned the province's official blue and white colours.
About 5,000 activities across 650 provincial locales have been planned for the long weekend, including several musical performances from prominent Quebec's performers.
Simon Bissonnette, president of organizer Mouvement national des Quebecoises et Quebecois, said this year's holiday feels like a family reunion due to the lifting of public health protocols meant to protect against COVID-19.
"It's a liberation to see people at different sites, without any measures," Bissonnette said.
But this year's celebrations weren't exact clones of past events.
In downtown Montreal, for instance, the traditional parade was replaced with an immersive exhibition of scenes from Quebec's history and culture.
Rather than admiring passing parade floats, attendees were encouraged to circulate among a dozen settings. These included a replica of Quebec's infamous winter complete with real bonfires and the opportunity to roast marshmallows, a traditional sugar shack, and a showcase of photos depicting aspects of the province's history.

Montreal resident Melanie Aubut was all smiles as she watched her seven-year-old daughter run across the street with half her face painted in blue and a "Quebec" tag on her forehead.
"We're also celebrating diversity today," Aubut said. "It's beautiful that we have people with different backgrounds in our city, celebrating together."
She said having the option to walk across the static scenes was perfect to reintroduce the festivities after the pandemic.
"It's less overwhelming or suffocating because there's more space for people," she said. "You can go at your own rhythm, take the time to look."
Simon Dor also took in the sights during an afternoon stroll with family and friends.
"There are several definitions to what it means to be Quebecer," he said. "But we can celebrate no matter what."
Quebec Premier Francois Legault posted a video on Twitter early Friday showing himself humming "Gens du pays" by Quebec Nationalist songwriter Gilles Vigneault, which is frequently sung during birthday celebrations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also issued a statement in which he celebrated his Quebec heritage and touted the province as a leader in equality, justice and democracy.
"As Quebecers, we can be proud of our history and our beautiful French language," Trudeau said on Friday. "These are the roots of a unique culture that binds us together, from Rimouski to Val--d'Or, from Montreal to Sherbrooke."
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2022, with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pfizer booster approved for children aged 5-11 by Health Canada
Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Health Canada is authorizing a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between five and 11 years old.

Woman travelling to Canada with 5 kilos of heroin arrested in Poland
A 81-year-old Danish woman traveling from Africa to Canada was arrested at Warsaw airport on suspicion of illegal possession of heroin worth over US$515,000, officials in Poland said Friday.
Trudeau nominates Ontario judge Michelle O'Bonsawin to Supreme Court
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Ontario judge Michelle O’Bonsawin to the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday. She is the first Indigenous person to be tapped to sit on Canada's top court and the appointment is being celebrated as filling an important role at the highest level of the country's justice system.
WATCH LIVE | Transport minister testifying at committee on airport delays, flight cancellations
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is testifying before the House of Commons transport committee this afternoon about ongoing airport delays and flight cancellations.
Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet denies sex assault allegations, says he is being defamed
A prominent Quebec cardinal is denying sexual assault allegations against him contained in a class-action lawsuit that was formally filed this week in Quebec Superior Court.
Nunavut declares state of emergency over Iqaluit water shortage
Nunavut's acting minister of community and government services says the territory has declared a state of emergency in Iqaluit to ensure the city can begin replenishing its water reservoir without delay.
Back to school: A look at the COVID-19 rules in place across provinces, territories
As students across Canada gear up to enter what will be their fourth academic year in the pandemic, CTVNews.ca takes a look at what measures will be in place in schools, by province and territory.
Canada's interim import ban on handguns takes effect today
As of today, individuals and businesses are no longer able to import restricted handguns into Canada, with limited exceptions. The move announced earlier this month is aimed at expediting a key pillar of the federal effort to cap the number of handguns in the country.
Honey shortage could extend into next year after devastating winter for beekeepers
This past winter saw record losses for beekeepers, and one expert says the prospects for next year are even worse if they face another frigid winter.