For the second straight year, the organizers of the Montreal Canada Day Parade 2025 in Downtown Montreal have pulled the plug on the celebrations.
In a news release, organizers said the event—which typically draws over 100,000 spectators to Downtown Montreal each year—was cancelled due to a variety of reasons.
In a statement, the City of Montreal said that, as was the case last year, organizers did not submit a project application despite multiple invitations from the city.
Is there a Canada Day parade in Montreal?
Established in 1977, the Montreal Canada Day Parade is a free, family-friendly celebration that unites Canadians and visitors of all backgrounds to mark the country’s birthday.
Featuring colourful floats, cultural performances, and lively entertainment, it has become a beloved summer tradition in Montreal.
Why did Montreal cancel the Canada Day parade?
According to a news release by the parade's main organizer, Nicholas Cowen, Montreal’s Canada Day Parade 2025, the parade was cancelled due to continued planning disruptions, tense relations with city departments, and unresolved issues linked to municipal worker strikes.
Here is the statement from the Montreal Canada Day Parade site:
“After nearly five decades of celebration and community spirit, the streets of downtown Montreal will remain quiet this Canada Day. The 2025 Montreal Canada Day Parade has been officially cancelled due to ongoing planning disruptions, strained relations with city departments, and unresolved challenges stemming from municipal worker strikes.
This difficult decision was made by Nicholas Cowen, Main Organizer of the Montreal Canada Day Parade, who has been involved with the parade since the 1990s. The parade, which has welcomed hundreds of thousands of spectators annually since its inception in 1977, has become increasingly difficult to organize without disruptions in recent years.
“Safety is our number one priority when it comes to large events such as the Montreal Canada Day Parade,” said Cowen. “When different city departments of workers do disruptions, you no longer just have to focus on the safety of the public but the functional aspect of the event. If something was planned, are they going to do their jobs to the best of their abilities? This is a concern.”
While the parade is a non-profit, volunteer-driven initiative meant to foster unity and national pride, Cowen notes that the working environment with the City of Montreal has deteriorated significantly.
“I do understand where the City of Montreal workers are coming from. Everything in recent years has gone up in price. The city workers do multiple minor disruptions to bring those to the negotiating table,” said Cowen. “To the other organizations who have come to me in the past asking for help with these minor disruptions in their own events, I can’t help you because I am not part of those negotiations.”
Disruptions have increased over time, particularly after the reopening of large-scale events following the COVID-19 pandemic. These interruptions have only grown more unpredictable and difficult to navigate. While the Mayor’s Office had previously assured the organizer that these issues would be resolved, no meaningful or lasting solution has been implemented.
The loss of this cultural mainstay is significant. The Montreal Canada Day Parade has been featured in media outlets across 23 countries and was projected to attract over 120,000 attendees in 2025 alone. With its cancellation, not only does the city lose a major tourism draw, but Canadian culture itself takes a hit on one of the most important national holidays.
Cowen remains hopeful that the parade can return in future years — provided there is a renewed spirit of collaboration from the departments of the city of Montreal.
“This event is for the people, not for profit. I truly hope we can one day return to the streets of Montreal with a parade that unites us, not divides us,” Cowen concluded.”
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