Happy 149th Birthday Canada! North Bay's waterfront was a lakeside of people in red and white taking part in the Canada Day festivities on Friday. Despite the steady light rain, patriotic spirits were anything but damp at the ACT shelter with the arrival of the giant Canada Day cake.
Earlier, a strong, passionate rendition of O Canada was sung by 27 new Canadians as they took part in an emotional citizenship ceremony.
Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota showed his enthusiasm for the new Canadians in the North Bay area."They chose Canada. Not everybody is lucky enough to be born here. People choose Canada to come to live and work here. We are very proud."
Asked about possibly singing O Canada a little differently next year, Chantal Rota explained that the MP that brought forth the bill to update Canada's national anthem is a close friend."I think the majority of us want to know that everyone is equal in every sense of the way and included, especially in our national anthem that is there to represent all of us.
"It is also very special to us because Mauril Belangér is a friend. He went to the same high school we went to. He is from Mattawa originally. The Belangérs are still in Mattawa. The effort he showed to be in the house in order for it to go through the process makes it that more important for us."
Mauril Belanger has been working to change O Canada to be sung with the phrase "in all of us command" instead of "in all our sons command." He has been diagnosed with ALS.
The huge Canada Day cake is a community favourite. That was evident with the happy munching folks of all ages with whip cream on their cheeks and noses. The cake event is hosted by the Association of Canadian Travelers (ACT) and the Best Western North Bay Hotel. Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli and North Bay Mayor Al McDonald helped Rota serve up the huge cake.
Pauline Brown was at the festivities with a pair of patriotic poodles. "We really love Canada and we love our freedom."
Rota was beaming while catching up with his constituents. "Most Canadians take Canada for granted. We don't realize how lucky we are. Canada really is the best country in the world and today we should take the time to think about that celebrate what we have here."
