Although this celebration is officially on August 24th, on the 20th it had been 18 months since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Indeed, the ongoing war in Ukraine was a major theme of the gathering, with many officials attending in solidarity with Ukraine. Present on the day was the Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow, the Premier of Ontario Doug Ford, President of the Central and Eastern European Council in Canada Marcus Kolga, and Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada Pierre Poilievre.
Photos by Peeter Põldre