It was under the tunes of Gens du pays that the Saint-Jean parade strolled through the streets of Montreal on Monday afternoon. Despite the bad weather forecast, the rain stopped just in time to allow the National Day parade to finish its journey dry.
The wind, however, caused some problems for the organizers who were assembling the pieces of the procession before departure. Director Richard Blackburn was forced to adapt his show due to strong winds. “We had to give up a lot of visual elements,” explains the artistic director.
Nevertheless, his vision “of a parade which is a joyful demonstration, a festive pile-up” was probably realized.
Flag bearers, choirs, dancers, jugglers, stilt walkers, musicians: the dynamic performances brought together by Richard Blackburn brought the parade to life. The acrobats from the Acting for climate troupe were particularly remarkable and dazzled spectators of all ages with their aerial somersaults.
Every five minutes, whistles sounded and the marchers turned toward the crowd. This is the signal to sing the unofficial anthem of Quebec, Gens du pays, to the great pleasure of the crowd who joined the chorus.
The predicted rain did not dampen the spirits of Quebecers, who turned out in droves to watch the procession. Spectators formed a guard of honour on either side of Rachel Street, waving their fleur-de-lis and greeting the marchers. The packed balconies of the street’s buildings offered residents a unique view of the procession.
The leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, was one of the politicians who came to celebrate Saint-Jean in the metropolis. According to him, the national holiday represents a time of coming together. “We come together, regardless of our differences […] I find that it creates humanism, it creates links between people,” maintains the MP.
Andréa Kpenou agrees.
She and her 4-year-old son attended their first parade, after 12 years in Quebec. “What struck me when coming here was really the diversity, which I find extremely beautiful,” explains the Montrealer of French origin. “It feels good to be here and to feel this diversity and I am proud to be in Quebec,” says Andréa.
She even found the parade too short. “I liked that it was a little more circus, but I would have taken triple that! » she exclaims.
