On Canada Day, there are a few things you can be sure of: fireworks, closed malls, and lots and lots of folks decked out in patriotic red and white. It’s a day to unplug from the internet, get outside and relax a bit before diving back into work July 2.
But certain Canadians were not playing it cool whatsoever on Monday, and made the most of every moment. Whether that meant ratcheting the Canada-ness up to 11 or claiming victory against a fellow Canuck, our Northern spirit burned bright through these folks and moments.
Exhibit A: The East York, Ont. parade that was Peak Canada
Residents gathered in this Toronto neighbourhood to ring in the country’s 152nd birthday, and they did not hold back.
Canada’s ultimate fans, amirite?
Sure, his dad is PM, but we know who’s really running the show
Meanwhile, during the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa, little Hadrien Trudeau proved once again it’s his world and we’re just living in it.
Utilizing Canada flag as smoking pipe: check. MacGyvering Canada flags to create customized shades: check. Protesting the thinning ozone layer: check. Reconfiguring flags again to customize random red hat and hold sunglasses: check.
Show stolen: CHECK.
Speaking of stealing the show, let’s talk about Félix Auger-Aliassime for a second
The 18-year-old won his first career main draw singles match at a Grand Slam tennis tournament, at Wimbledon and against a fellow Canadian, no less: Vasek Pospisil.
It was east vs. west in the July 1 showdown (Montreal roots for Auger-Aliassime, Vancouver base for Pospisil), but both players were all smiles at the end of it, in true Canadian fashion.
This Canada flag was the star at the Blue Jays game ...
We aren’t kidding, it’s enormous. The Jays wore red uniforms instead of blue, as they do for their Canada-Day games. And Toronto’s own won the game against the Kansas City Royals 11 - 4.
Is the world’s tallest structure trolling the CN Tower?
The CN Tower in Toronto used to be the tallest freestanding structure in the world, from 1975 - 2007. Nowadays, it ranks a mere ninth, with the Burj Khalifa in Dubai having claimed the title since 2010. If that wasn’t insult enough, the Burj Khalifa got a jumpstart on the type of illuminating Canada Day displays the CN Tower is known for when the UAE building was illuminated earlier on Monday (due to the time zone, you see). A little friendly in-your-still-very-tall-face fun?
It’s understandable, really. Lots of folks outside Canada want to get in on the goodness.
Some who embody our Canadian ways might be fictional:
But they, and others who covet our Canadianness are here to remind us that, in spite of all the things we can and should be doing better on, many of us have got it pretty good in Canada:
Pretty good, indeed.