Any Canuck expat worth the beer stains on his hockey jersey will tell you: Canada Day in Trafalgar Square is better than Canada Day in Canada.
True, the beer selection will be less than comprehensive, ranging from cans of Molson Canadian to plastic cups of Molson Canadian. But for the first time since the inaugural Canada Day in Trafalgar Square nine years ago, the poutine (French Canadian comfort food made from chips, gravy and cheese) will be worthy of the name, prepared using the necessary curds instead of grated cheese. C'est écoeurant!
The day’s events include a street hockey tournament (blissfully free of vehicular interruption), the chance to meet a Mountie, a lululemon yoga session, spray-on tattoos of moose and Justin Bieber, and more. Starting at 6.30pm, perhaps the most Canadian lineup ever assembled takes the main stage, as The Arkells, Jann Arden and The Sheepdogs open for The Tragically Hip.
No word yet on whether the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, a newly arrived Canuck import, will take time off from saving the UK economy to attend. Or whether Michael Bublé, in town for a 10-night run at the O2, will make a surprise appearance.