Canada Day: Where the federal leaders are
PM to speak on Parliament Hill, Mulcair attends Toronto MP-hosted events and Trudeau goes small town
With Prime Minister Stephen Harper expected to be front and centre on Parliament Hill and New Democrat Leader Tom Mulcair at NDP MP-hosted events across Toronto, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's July 1st festivities will likely have a more small-town vibe.
According to a notice issued by his office on Monday, Trudeau will spend Tuesday morning in Alexandria, Ontario, where he'll kick off his Canada Day by walking in the annual parade — which leaves the local French Catholic elementary school at noon — and speaking at the opening ceremony at Island Park.
Later in the day, he'll make his way to Cornwall for a second — and, at least, going by the party-issued public itinerary, final — round of celebrations.
Trudeau's Canada Day agenda looks downright leisurely compared to the one facing Tom Mulcair, who starts his day with a sunrise citizenship ceremony in East York, Ont. with Matthew Kellway.
Back-to-back Canada Day events for Mulcair, May
After that wraps up, he'll make an appearance at a picnic in High Park hosted by Peggy Nash, followed by a stop at "Neighbours together" on Broadview with Craig Scott, and finally, tours of Thomson and Amesbury Park, courtesy of Dan Harris and Mike Sullivan, respectively.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, meanwhile, is the lone federal leader marking the occasion west of Ontario, beginning with a Lions' Club breakfast and mid-morning parade in Sidney, B.C. Later in the day, she'll team up with folksinger Valdy to serve cake at a Canada Day-themed fundraiser for the Gulf Islands Secondary School Bursary, and round the day off with a lamb barbecue on Saturna Island.
Finally, back in Ottawa, the prime minister has just one official duty on his schedule: the Canada Day noon-hour show, where he'll deliver brief remarks. Once he gets that out of the way, he'll be able to sit back and enjoy the music in the company of his wife, Laureen, Gov.-Gen. David Johnston and his wife, Sharon, Canadian Heritage Minister Shelly Glover and the tens of thousands of Canadians expected to show up to the capital's biggest lawn party.