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
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Pro-Palestinian protests roiling U.S. colleges escalate with arrests, new encampments and closures
The student protests of Israel's war with Hamas that have been creating friction at U.S. universities escalated Tuesday as new encampments sprouted and some colleges encouraged students to stay home and learn online, after dozens of arrests across the country.