Multicultural celebrations held at Place de la Gare and Saint-Roch Park
On July 1 in Parc Extension, not one, but two Canada Day parties a few blocks apart meant twice as much patriotic fervor for hundreds of Parc Exers who turned out.
It was the 23rd year the National Bangladeshi-Canadian Council (NBCC) hosted their Canada Day celebration, with funding from the Canadian Heritage ministry in partnership with local community organizations, in Place de la Gare on Jean Talon at Hutchison next to the Maxi supermarket.
Over the afternoon and evening, there was Canada Day cake, a free BBQ with a seemingly unlimited supply of hot dogs, music, folk songs, dance, children’s activities, live entertainment, and a hearty welcome to any new citizens of Canada who were on hand.
“The purpose of this celebration is to promote Canadian culture and heritage as well as different ethnic cultures,” said Monir Hossain, who has led the organization of the Place de la Gare Canada Day celebration for more than two decades.
‘Special day,’ says Parc Ex councillor
“I am very proud to represent the Parc Extension community here today because of the great diversity to be found in our district,” said local city councillor Elvira Carhuallanqui. “It’s great to see all the children here. I feel very, very happy to be here because Canada Day is such a special day when we all celebrate together as one community.”
Saint-Michel city councillor José Corvil was delegated by Montreal mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada to deliver a Canada Day message on her behalf. “Parc Extension is a very diverse area,” he said in an interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension News.
“And for us in Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada’s administration, diversity is very important,” he added. “Because we have a lot of people who come from everywhere in the world, it is very important for us to be united and together. It’s also very important for us that everybody should know we are together.”
A big multicultural bash
All in all, it was party time in Place de la Gare, with virtually all the multicultural Canadian communities living in Montreal’s Parc-Extension district present. Hundreds of people were on hand, with many children dressed in the red and white colors of the nation’s flag.
Flags of Canada floated in the wind as the Canadian national anthem was played. All in all, the day represented a chance for those present to show pride in their origins, as seen within Canadian history as a generation of Canadians, being the bridge and link from the present to the future to unite multicultural and Canadian communities.
A few blocks north along Querbes Ave. at Saint-Roch Park, another Canada Day party, this one sponsored by the Himalaya Seniors, was also underway. For the group’s general secretary, Nizam Uddin, July 1 was doubly meaningful, as it was his 80th birthday.
Partying on at Saint-Roch Park
The Himalaya Seniors’ Canada Day celebration offered a hefty slice of Canadian multiculturalism, with performances by dancers from South America, Pakistan and other regions around the world.
“Today, we all gather here together to celebrate Canada Day with dignity, joy and gratitude,” Himalaya Seniors president Vathany Srikandarajah said in an opening address.
“Most of us come to Canada with a dream of having a better life,” she added. “Yes, we are very proud to be Canadian, and we get the opportunity to develop and achieve our goals.
“Let’s take a moment to appreciate the journey by this beautiful nation and incredible people – the story and the land that is Canada,” said Srikandarajah. “Happy Canada Day 2026.”
