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!"
A man wears a Quebec flag as he crosses a street during a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day event in Montreal, Friday, June 24, 2022. Quebec is celebrating the St-Jean Baptiste Day, its national holiday, for the first time after most festivities were cancelled for the past two years due to COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
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.
Fiver year old Ariane smiles as she holds a balloon during a Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day event in Montreal, Friday, June 24, 2022. Quebec is celebrating the St-Jean Baptiste Day, its national holiday, for the first time after most festivities were cancelled for the past two years due to COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks beat Oilers 5-4 in comeback to take Game 1
The Vancouver Canucks won the first game of their NHL playoffs series with the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Wednesday night coming back from a three-goal deficit.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.