Canada Day in Ottawa a Washout

Parliament Hill in Ottawa was washed out from thunderstorms

Canada celebrated its 159th birthday today. This morning in Vancouver we enjoyed a pancake breakfast, where we ate pancakes topped with sliced strawberries, maple syrup and whipped cream, and a side of sausages.

It was a beautiful day in Vancouver, but in the nation's capital, Ottawa, the celebrations there were literally a washout.

Extreme weather led to severe thunderstorms that resulted in outdoor concerts, fireworks and even the last performance by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds to be cancelled.

Pancake breakfast for Canada Day

"In the interest of public safety and due to extreme weather and the condition of the site, we unfortunately have made the difficult decision to cancel the National Canada Day Evening Show," Canadian Heritage wrote.

There was so much rain in Ottawa that there was flooding in some areas and power outages. 

Even Prime Minister Mark Carney was prevented from flying to Edmonton to deliver his Canada Day speech because of the thunderstorms in Ottawa.

Earlier in the day he was flipping pancakes in his own riding in an Ottawa suburb and gave a speech encouraging Canadians to remain united.

Carney said Canadians have stood strong in the face of global challenges, "working together, resolutely, to build our future. Because in a crisis, fortune favours the bold."

Alas this crisis drowned out any fortunes for today... All we can say is, hopefully the weather will be better next year for Canada's 160th?