Parades, concerts and heat warnings to mark Fête nationale in Quebec

Quebecers will be decked out in blue and white today as the Fête nationale holiday is marked by parades, celebrations, and heat warnings.

The festivities are coinciding with some extreme weather conditions this year.

Quebec City announced this week it is opening air-conditioned community centres and libraries and extending hours at splash pads due to an Environment Canada heat warning covering much of the province.

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Montreal will be hosting a parade beginning at 2 p.m., followed by an evening concert at Parc Maisonneuve featuring artists such as Robert Charlebois and Sara Dufour.

This year’s celebrations will commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the first performance of Gilles Vigneault’s song “Gens du pays,” which is often considered the province’s unofficial anthem.

Quebec says nearly 650 events are happening across the province to mark the holiday also known as St-Jean-Baptiste Day.