Thousands gather across Winnipeg to celebrate Canada Day with pride and reflection
Posted July 1, 2025 5:25 pm.
Last Updated July 1, 2025 5:29 pm.
From the heart of downtown to suburban parks and Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeggers turned out in the thousands Monday to celebrate Canada Day with flags, music and community spirit.
“I think there is a lot going on in the world right now, and I think we should take some time to reflect on the great country we have,” said James Barcley, who was celebrating at Assiniboine Park.
Throughout the city, the red and white was on full display. At Assiniboine Park, families took part in face painting, cultural activities and bouncy castles. Warm weather and a festive mood added to the atmosphere, with many residents reflecting on what it means to be Canadian.
For Eassam Abraham, this was their first time taking in a Canada Day celebration.
“We wanted to see activities here in Canada and how people are celebrating Canada Day, so I think we are going to enjoy it,” Abraham said.
Nearby, Sally McMillan shared her own patriotic pride while celebrating with her family.
“We’re just proud to be Canadian,” said McMillan. “My daughter picked out this shirt — elbows up for Canada — because we’re proud.”
Sam Pal, visiting from Alberta with his son, appreciated the joyful mood but emphasized the values that underpin the celebration.
“You know, elbows up is good, but we don’t need to forget our values of standing tall and standing up for rights,” Pal said.
Some attendees noted that large public gatherings can be overwhelming, but found comfort in the community feel of the day.
“We’re here with the in-laws and it’s so awesome with the community and people,” said Brittany Stefansson. “Sometimes events like this give me anxiety, but this is great and we are having a lot of fun.”
Later in the day, Princess Auto Stadium hosted a full-scale festival with inflatables, local vendors, and live music, including Canadian rock band Big Wreck and country singer Tyler Joe Miller.
One of the most iconic Canadian symbols — the Grey Cup — was also on display. Its keeper, Jeff McWhinney, reflected on the Cup’s rich history and the unity it brings to Canadians.
“We’ve seen interruptions in World War I, II and COVID, but the one thing we go to is bringing it back to a great locker room called Canada,” McWhinney said.
A veteran of all three branches of the Canadian military, McWhinney shared personal memories tied to the Cup, including a tribute to his father, whose name is etched into it following Winnipeg’s 1954 Grey Cup win with the Edmonton Eskimos.
“We were born in 1867. We inducted this in 1909 — 41 years later — and it really described the great storybook of our country,” McWhinney said. “We only had two verbs: ‘presented’ and ‘dedicated,’ and we have 4,049 names on there — really, 4,049 chapters of this great storybook called Canada.”
