Severe weather on Wednesday forced the cancellation of Ottawa’s evening Canada Day celebrations, including the planned fireworks display. Heavy rain, thunderstorms, flooding, road closures and widespread power outages created unsafe conditions across the city.
Canadian Heritage confirmed that the National Canada Day Evening Show had been cancelled because of public safety concerns and the poor condition of the event site.
Canada Day Evening Show Cancelled
Canadian Heritage said it made the difficult decision to cancel Ottawa’s evening Canada Day program due to extreme weather.
The agency explained that the cancellation was necessary to protect the public after intense rain and storms affected major celebration areas.
By 5:45 p.m., Environment Canada reported that 99 millimetres of rain had fallen at Ottawa International Airport. More rain and thunderstorms were still expected later in the evening.
Canada Day Activities Suspended Earlier
Before the evening show was officially cancelled, Canadian Heritage had already suspended several activities in key celebration zones.
The affected locations included:
- LeBreton Flats Park
- Old Hull
- Parliament Hill
- The area in front of the Supreme Court of Canada
At LeBreton Flats Park and Parliament Hill, electronic signs told visitors to seek shelter. Videos posted online showed people running to leave the park as heavy rain and strong winds moved through the area.
Snowbirds Cancel Final Canada Day Flights
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds also cancelled all remaining Canada Day flights.
The performance was expected to be their final Canada Day appearance, as the group’s aging fleet is being grounded.
Earlier in the day, the Snowbirds said they hoped a break in the weather might allow them to complete their Parliament Hill flyover. However, shortly before 5 p.m., they confirmed the performance had been cancelled.
In a Facebook post, the group said they understood how meaningful Canada Day is for many people and were disappointed they could not fly over the capital.
Flooding Forces Major Road Closures
Heavy rainfall caused flooding in several areas of Ottawa, leading to hazardous driving conditions and multiple road closures.
Ottawa Police said Woodroffe Avenue was closed between Knoxdale Road and Norice Street.
Police also asked the public to avoid several west-end locations, including:
- Corkstown Road and Creekwood Crescent
- Greenbank and Banner roads
- Woodroffe Avenue and Knoxdale Road
- Moodie Drive and Highway 417 at the ramp
- Richmond and Holly Acres roads
- Highway 416 northbound from West Hunt Club Road to the Highway 417 split
Highway Closures Reported
As of 8:40 p.m., the Ontario Provincial Police said Highway 417 westbound was closed at Moodie Drive because of cleanup after flooding.
The connection from Highway 416 northbound to Highway 417 westbound was also closed. Drivers were urged to stay away from the area.
Earlier in the day, Highway 417 had been closed to westbound traffic at Pinecrest Avenue, but that section reopened by 5:10 p.m., according to OPP.
Police advised people to avoid unnecessary travel until conditions improved.
Power Outages Affect Thousands
Thunderstorms and severe weather also caused power outages across Ottawa and the surrounding region.
As of 6:20 p.m.:
| Utility | Customers Affected |
|---|---|
| Hydro Ottawa | 29,000 |
| Hydro One East Region | 20,000 |
Hydro Ottawa said crews had been sent out to assess damage and restore electricity where it was safe to do so.
Ottawa Police and Hydro Ottawa also reminded residents to treat non-working traffic lights as four-way stops.
Transit Detours and LRT Updates
OC Transpo reported that some bus routes were placed on detour because of the storm and flooding. Riders were advised to check the latest alerts for updated service information.
A spokesperson told CBC that, as of 5:10 p.m., no LRT stations had service disrupted by flooding.
There was some limited flooding at Heron station, but it was not affecting service.
Weather Advisories Across the Region
The National Capital Region had been under different heat and thunderstorm advisories from Environment Canada since Tuesday.
A tornado warning was also briefly issued around Gananoque, Ontario, at about 8 p.m.