Canadians ring in New Year with music, parties, fireworks – and a lot of rain

From coast to coast, Canadians rang in the new year Saturday night with parties, fireworks and in some places, a lot of rain.

Rain put a damper on Canada’s official New Year’s Eve event, forcing the cancellation of the Winter Lights Across Canada multimedia projection on Parliament Hill, although the city’s Hogman-eh! celebration at Lansdowne Park did manage to put on fireworks despite the weather.

Newfoundland was the first province to welcome 2023, with the official fireworks display in St. John’s held earlier in the evening at Quidi Vidi Lake and recorded to air on television.

Celebrations in Halifax included performances by 2021 Juno Rock Album of the Year winner JJ Wilde and Devon Cole, Amazon’s Breakthrough Artist of the Month for October.

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In Toronto, festivities were moved from the traditional spot at Nathan Phillips Square outside City Hall to the Harbourfront for the annual fireworks show.

Edmonton’s New Year’s Eve party at City Hall featured musical performances by Melafrique, Anishinaabe singers and Metis fiddler Colton Bear from Bear Country Band before the midnight fireworks.

While Vancouver cancelled its New Year’s Eve fireworks, bars and restaurants picked up the slack for the night, with extra police officers deployed to entertainment district including Granville Street, Yaletown, and Gastown.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2022.