Norwegian Constitution Day in Toronto

Time does fly. Is it Norwegian Constitution Day already? No, not quite. The actual day is May 17, but there is a celebration today in my local park. (Actually, there are several small parks in my neighbourhood, but this is the nicest one.)

When I walked to the park this morning a friend of mine who is a very active volunteer there, told me about the celebration. Things were just getting started when I left. There was a big Norwegian flag flying over a park building and I saw some people waving little ones. I also saw a woman in Norwegian folk costume chatting, appropriately enough, in Norwegian.

Across the street from the park, I saw a couple wearing red, blue and white ribbons. When I said Happy Norwegian Independence Day to them, the man answered with what I took to be a Norwegian accent. I asked if they were visiting. He said, "No, we live in Waterloo." Oops. But they were Norwegian and they were going to the celebration.

Toronto has historical ties to Norway, though this isn't connected to today's event. Norway was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. The Norwegian Government-in-exile decided to set up a training centre for Norwegian fighter pilots. Arrangements were made with the Canadian government to establish a base in Toronto. It came to be called Little Norway. Today the site is home to Little Norway Park, but it's in another neighbourhood, not mine.

See also:

A conversation with a drunk man in a west-end Toronto park