A lack of sun did little to discourage crowds from attending the sunrise ceremony on Signal Hill this morning.
With many wearing maple leaves and carrying Canadian flags, hundreds of locals and visitors to the province gathered in the Signal Hill parking lot, with fog so think you could barely see Cabot Tower.
In addition to the festive atmosphere of Canada Day, a moment of silence was held for Memorial Day, with the act of remembrance and last post echoing throughout the park.
Services and festivities continue throughout the day, but the fog is expected to remain in attendance.
Reppin’ @590VOCM at the Sunrise ceremony this morning on Signal Hill. This is for both Memorial Day and Canada Day 🇨🇦 NL is the first province to have a sunrise and begin Canada Day in Canada! #HappyCanadaDay #MemorialDay #BeaumontHamel pic.twitter.com/RzseDkLdrc
— Raylene Mackey (@RayleneMackey) July 1, 2019
Canada Day Festivities Might Be Better Inside
Outside celebrations this Canada day may have to be kept to a minimum.
Environment Canada meteorologist Todd Anstett says most of the island will be seeing mostly rain today and tonight, with the Burin Peninsula seeing upwards of 20 mm by the end of the day.
Anstett says fireworks this evening may be a washout on the Avalon. The only dry spot on the island will be the west coast and Northern Peninsula.
As for Labrador, he says it will be a mix of sun and cloud for most, with some showers lingering around.
Highs will be varied however, Nain will only see highs of around 6 degrees, while Lab city’s forecast says temperatures could hit 20 degrees.
Traffic Directed Around Downtown to Make Way for Memorial Parade
A large portion of the downtown in St. John’s will be closed to traffic today to accommodate the annual Memorial Day parade and ceremony at the National War Memorial on Duckworth Street.
The closures will be in effect in various parts of the downtown from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m..
Queen’s Road and Church Hill will be closed from 9:30 to 10:30, while Duckworth and Water streets from Cochrane to Prescott will be closed from 9:30 to 1:30.
The parade will begin from the Sergeant’s Memorial on Queen’s Road at 9:50 a.m. with the annual Memorial Day ceremony at the National War Memorial to begin at 10:45 a.m..