Yes, clouds of red and white as far as the eye can see—beside us at curbside or way down the street with more floats and participants than you'd care to count.

This was Trochu's annual Canada Day parade.

Watch out for candy-crazed kids, for the occasional mom helping to collect goodies, and a lawn chair grandma holding a wide-mouthed shopping bag so her Jack and Jill can deepen their sweet collection.

With or without cascades of free candy, hordes of hyper kids and cooperative parents, what a great celebration of Canadians being Canadians, perhaps more relevant this year than any in living memory.

No separatist chatter, no dissentions, just masses of red and white (banners, signs, face-painted, T shirts, hats, balloons, big flags and little flags festooned on tractors and new farm equipment, grandpa buzzing around on his old lawn mower, antique cars, golf carts, and politicians' snappy cars) as far as the eye can see.

Sweet.