While it rained on our parade for Canada Day in Côte Saint-Luc, we were able to proceed with two late afternoon ceremonies: a citizenship court in which new Canadians from 15 different countries were sworn in and the induction of Miep Gies into our Human Rights Walkway at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park.
The citizenship ceremony was presided over by Judge Barbara Seal, who due to a case of laryngitis had to limit her words. This is the third year in a row we have hosted such a ceremony on Canada Day and it is always a big success.
Miep Gies was one of the people who hid Anne Frank and her family in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, during the Second World War. Gies became the ninth person honoured with a plaque on the Côte Saint-Luc Human Rights Walkway.
Members of council join Councillor Ruth Kovac's mother, who knew Miep Gies, as we unveil the plaque that will now stand at our Human Rights Walkway.
We had a wonderful evening of entertainment planned. And it actually got underway at 6 p.m. with a youth band followed by the musical group Airport 77. Regrettably the sky opened up and the rain came down in buckets. We had no choice but to cancel the rest of the evening as the ground was soaking wet. Fireworks will be rescheduled.
I feel badly for our committee and staff who worked so very hard to put this event together. Months of planning went up in smoke as Mother Nature did not cooperate.
