Canada Day parade returns to downtown Kingston after four-year hiatus

The parade will start at 11 a.m. from the Metro parking lot at the intersection of Princess Street and Barrie Street, making its way to celebrations at City Hall.

Canada Day festivities are returning to downtown this year, starting with the Canada Day Parade of People for the first time since 2019. 

Since the pandemic put a stop to various initiatives in the downtown core, major Canada Day celebrations downtown have not made a comeback, including the parade organized by the Downtown Kingston BIA which used to kick off the day each year.

But the parade and various other events downtown will be making its comeback after a four-year hiatus on July 1.

Jan MacDonald, director of events with the BIA, explains, “in chats with the City, we decided it was time to come back, partially because the events for Canada Day have been over the last number of years spread out throughout Kingston.”

The parade will start at 11 a.m. from the Metro parking lot at the intersection of Princess Street and Barrie Street, making its way to celebrations at City Hall.