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Canada Day celebrations at The Forks in Winnipeg on July 1, 2026. (Mitchell Ringos, CityNews)<\/p>\nCanada Day celebrations are underway at The Forks, but Wednesday\u2019s event is about much more than red and white. From welcoming new Canadians citizens to celebrating various cultures, thousands are expected to take part in a full day of festivities.<\/p>\n
The day began\u00a0with\u00a0Elders from First Nations, M\u00e9tis and Inuit communities welcoming visitors to the traditional meeting place before the celebrations officially got underway.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been a meeting place for over 6,000 years. We\u2019ve always had Indigenous history here. It\u2019s a super important way for us to start the day. For any large celebration we have, we always like to start with the ceremony,\u201d said Georgia Sigurdson, the digital engagement and analytics coordinator of The Forks.<\/p>\n
From there, Canada Day quickly filled every corner of The Forks. Markets, music, storytelling and cultural performances celebrated the many communities that make up Canada.<\/p>\n
Canada Day celebrations at The Forks in Winnipeg on July 1, 2026. (Mitchell Ringos, CityNews)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such an important day for us to really come together to unite and to celebrate our great nation. One of the opportunities we have on Canada Day is to really celebrate the outstanding diversity we have in our city,\u201d said Mayor Scott Gillingham.<\/p>\n
That diversity was perhaps most visible just steps away. More than two dozen people from around the world officially became Canadian citizens, taking the oath on Canada Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada\u2019s strength is diversity; we see it everywhere we go, and to celebrate that on Canada Day, that is what Canada is, so to celebrate new Canadians from all around the world is really meaningful,\u201d said Suzanne Carri\u00e8re, a Citizenship Judge.<\/p>\n
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Canada Day celebrations at The Forks in Winnipeg on July 1, 2026. (Mitchell Ringos, CityNews)<\/p>\n
Nathan Poole moved to Manitoba from Minnesota more than two decades ago to study music, where he eventually met his husband and built a life in Canada. Now officially a Canadian citizen, he says there was no better day to take the oath.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels great. I\u2019ve participated as a permanent resident of Canada for many years, and to become a citizen now that I can vote and participate civically and provincially and federally, that\u2019s just super exciting,\u201d said Poole.<\/p>\n
While much of the day focused on celebration, visitors were also encouraged to reflect. An interactive art installation invited people to write messages of hope and kindness, using Canada Day as an opportunity to spark conversations around mental health, connection and community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to change the culture around mental health so that people can move from suffering in silence to healing loudly together,\u201d said Ralph Bryant, the founder and chief love officer of Love Notes Campaign.<\/p>\n
With programming continuing throughout the day here at the Forks, the celebrations are far from over, including live music right here on the CN Stage, and while fireworks won\u2019t be at this location, the skies will light up at several other locations across Winnipeg as Canada Day festivities continue into the night.<\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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