Ottawa (July 2, 2017): Canada is marking its 150th birth anniversary with great enthusiasm and fervor today.
Canada Day, held on 1 July each year, marks the merging of three former British colonies into a single new country. It is a national holiday. Saturday marks the 150th anniversary of the day Canada officially became a country. Britain had ruled it before 1867.
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has kicked off celebrations to mark the country’s 150th birthday amid heavy security as many citizens braved incessant rain and long delays to reach the main site in the capital.
About 500,000 people were expected to be in Ottawa for the long-anticipated Canada Day festivities, which features a large outdoor celebration in front of the national parliament, complete with acrobats, fireworks and musicians, including Bono and other members of Irish rock band U2.
Trudeau, accompanied by Prince Charles, shook hands with some of the thousands of revellers who converged in Ottawa for the festivities.
PM Justin Trudeau told the gathering, “Canada is a country made strong not in spite of our differences but because of them. We don’t aspire to be a melting pot. Indeed, we know true strength and resilience flows through Canadian diversity.”
Strict security measures have been taken on the occasion to avoid any untoward incident. University of Ottawa history professor Pierre Anctil said “Canada 150 years ago was a project, it was an idea to bring together four colonies with very different historical backgrounds. We should celebrate but we should not be complacent. It’s not a finished project.”
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