It rained so much we forgot to put our elbows up.
Anyway, if American friends were in the waterlogged crowds, they were just that: friends. And the Bury hockey rink had no more corners to elbow in: it had been converted into a stage, auditorium, and dance hall. It was under the big tent, but so much rain fell outside, the water ran in and covered the concrete floor, making it look like an ice rink again.
Canada Day in Bury, like the Fête nationale in Quebec City, was kind of rained out. But our spirits were not.
“I can’t believe how loyal people are,” said food-truck chef Marie Gourmet of Dudswell.
It was pouring rain, but the crowds showed up anyway.
And Bury was proud. “It’s so nice to see the return to a traditional Canada Day celebration,” said East Angus resident, Randi Heatherington.
The red and white of Canadian flags were all over town, hanging from poles and walls, and prominently on front lawns.
Was it more than usual? No doubt. Wet elbows may not have been up, but fiery spirits were.
The Bury Canada Day program featured new events all over: the pancake breakfast then bingo on Saturday morning, a farmers’ competition Saturday afternoon, and a golf tournament on Sunday morning.
Folks came from far and wide. Once member of Parliament (MP) for Compton-Stanstead, David Price, and his wife Helga, came from North Hatley. Our current MP, Marianne Dandurand, and her team were walking the parade route, handing out more flags.
The umbrellas were everywhere, but so were the smiles, the reunions, and the jokes about the weather.
You can rain on our parade, but you can’t take our parade away.
By Saturday evening, the sun was shining again.
