Canadian heroes come in unexpected places sometimes. After the 1976 referendum in Quebec, all things Canadian wasnt particularly welcome in la Belle Province. It was so toxic, that there wasnt even a Canada Day celebration in Montreal. In 1977, cardiologist Dr. Roopnarine Singh took matters into his own hands and started the first official Canada Day parade in Montreal, comprised of a few cars driving around from the English neighbourhood of NDG to the downtown core of the city. An immigrant from Trinidad in 1955, he felt deeply thankful for his country and wanted to give back, which he did for 26 more years until passing it off to another. Today, the annual Canada Day celebration in Montreal is one of the largest in Canada, and celebrated by all groups, anglophone, francophone and allophone alike.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 05:04:37 +0000