St. Patrick's parade in Ottawa a long tradition
Posted Mar 5, 2010 By Laura Hay
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Irish Society of the National Capital Region
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St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Ottawa have been a tradition for many years. The annual parade will take place again this year on Bank St., tied in with the Irish Festival. Events are organized by the Irish Society of the National Capital Region.
EMC Events - When one thinks of St. Patrick's Day parades, images of packed streets in Boston, New York, or Chicago are usually the first to come to mind. Celebrations, parades and processions on St. Patrick's Day in North America began in the eighteenth century but it was largely in the nineteenth century that they developed into what is recognized today as the traditional St. Patrick's Day parade.
This can be associated with the swelling of Irish populations here due to mass emigration from Ireland as families sought to escape the hardships of the Great Famine in the 1840s. In addition, by the mid-nineteenth century Irish immigrants and descendants had well-established communities that were keen to display a sense of pride for their country of origin on St. Patrick's Day. With militia, benevolent societies, nationalist organizations, musicians, dancers, and prominent families from all counties in Ireland, the composition of parade participants represents the various identities of the Irish immigrant. Today's parades cover an even broader scope of participants and verify the saying, "Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick's Day".
The tradition of a St. Patrick's Day Parade in Canada varies from city to city. Montreal has had a St. Patrick's Parade since 1824, first begun by lawyer and Member of Parliament, Michael O'Sullivan. The current organizers - the United Irish Societies of Montreal - have held the responsibility for the parade since 1928.
Toronto was not so fortunate to have such a steadfast record. Sometimes referred to as the "Belfast of North America," Toronto witnessed numerous sectarian clashes in late-nineteenth century. The disruptions were so much that the city placed a ban on the St. Patrick's Day parade. Today however, Toronto has a group dedicated specifically to the event. This year, the St. Patrick's Parade Society of Toronto is currently working on its 23rd annual parade.
In Ottawa, we stand at 28 years running for our annual St. Patrick's parade. Over the course of these past two decades, our parade has evolved to represent a focal part of the Ottawa Irish Festival and is by far the most visible event in the week of activities around the city.
Some of the past entrants have truly captured the atmosphere of previous parades and St. Patrick's Day celebrations. There was often a mixed collection of participants from the greater Ottawa Valley coming into Ottawa, but always a united enthusiasm for anything that could be linked to Ireland, a Celtic identity, St. Patrick, or Irish heritage.
This year's parade is being held on Saturday, Mar. 13, starting at 11 a.m. The route cuts through the centre of downtown Ottawa, allowing for crowds to line the sidewalks of Bank Street with their coffees in hand and watch more than fifty entrants proceed along until they reach Lansdowne Park. In addition to showing some Celtic pride and entertaining the Ottawa public on a Saturday morning, the St. Patrick's parade is supporting the Ottawa Food Bank. Volunteers will be collecting food and monetary donations along the parade route as the floats, marching bands, musicians and dancers stream by.
While the parade may be the most visible aspect of the Ottawa Irish Festival, it is by no means the only event. The Ottawa Irish Festival is a week-long celebration of our Irish identities and traditions. The amalgamation of the parade and "Irish Week" into a recognized festival has allowed for the incorporation of various other events around the city to encompass many aspects of Irish culture. This year, the Irish Society of the National Capital Region is once again working in co-operation with a number of organizations and businesses to hold a variety of events around the city over the course of the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day on March 17th.
For more information, please visit our website, www.irishsocietyncr.com.
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