Canada turned 159 this year and everyone in Prescott and Russell and the rest of the country celebrated everything that Canada is.

“Canada Day is a time for gratitude,” said Giovanna Mingarelli, Prescott-Russell-Cumberland MP, during one of her stops around the riding on July 1.

Mingarelli described Canadians as people who build a community, “supporting their neighbours, people who step up for one another.”

Canada was built, noted Mingarelli, through “service and community” and welcoming everyone of every background.

The MP indicated that raising the flag on Canada has meaning beyond displaying the Maple Leaf.

“We celebrate not just a symbol,” she said. “We are celebrating Canada’s virtues. Freedom, respect, generosity, inclusion, and our collective hope for a better future.”

Throughout Eastern Ontario and Western Québec Canadians celebrated July outdoors as much as possible. Sweltering heat was typical for much of the day. A few areas experienced thunderstorms in the afternoon and later in the evening that delayed or cancelled some Canada Day activities.