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By KYLE MULLIN
mullin.kyle@dailygleaner.com

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The entries in this year's Canada Day parade were as diverse as the people who call Canada home.

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Ray Bourgeois

Happy birthday, Canada: Monica Legere is dressed for Canada's birthday. She was out at officers square along with thousands of other people to participate in Canada Day activities. There was a variety of entertainment, food and a parade later in the afternoon. Fireworks were held at night.

The Daily Gleaner/Ray Bourgeois

And the band came marching in: The start of the Canada Day parade was shot from the top of the walking bridge on St. Anne Point Boulevard.

Local artist William Forrestall said the parade was the whole that added up to more than the sum of its vibrantly varied parts.

And that's not unlike his folk art entries: two homemade go-karts built by himself and his daughters that were driven by family friends Sophie Theriault and Naomi Petrie.

"Canada is an ongoing creative exercise," Forrestall said. "It's not just a bunch of laws or legislation, it's all kinds of ideas and values coming together freely, and that's why it's important to be out here celebrating."

Nearly 10,000 Frederictonians took part in that celebration, gathering at the Civic Pride block party at noon for live music, before heading to St. Anne Point Boulevard for the parade.

The day was overcast and muggy, but the rain held off and Fredericton Civic Pride co-chairman Charles Barry said the weather wasn't a big concern.

"It was deadly hot last year, the sun made it uncomfortable," he said. "It could be a bit clearer today, but temperature-wise it's much better."

He said it would take much more than a chance of rain to dampen Fredericton's spirits on Canada Day.

"Having the community out like this on Canada Day shows how we care for each other and the freedom we want to keep."

Timothy Li, who was at the front of the line carrying a colourful Chinese dragon, agreed.

"It's not just the diversity, we're here to celebrate our shared vision," he said.

"That's why we brought the dragon, a big part of Chinese New Year, and we wanted to share it with you on Canada Day and show good love and prosperity."

Derek Davidson, a local artist who was part of the block party's Paint the Town Green, said cultural eclecticism was a huge inspiration as he painted a portrait of the crowd in Officers Square.

"I depend on these people to paint them, they depend on each other in countless ways," he said. "That's why we're here, in this country, and here today, to cherish that interdependence."

Forrestall agreed, saying his go-kart creations - and contributions from several fellow Gallery 78 members in the parade - are small examples of how all Canadians have turned nation building and cultural nourishing into an art form all of its own.

"We literally write the book every day in this country," he said. "And when we celebrate Canada Day, it's just another way we turn our best intentions into new creations."