Montreal’s St. Patrick Day Parade bigger than ever for its 200th edition
Posted March 16, 2025 1:58 pm.
Last Updated March 16, 2025 5:54 pm.
Montrealers were feeling green amid the 200th edition of Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday.
More than 120 groups, 20 floats, 60 merchant units, and 3,000 participants marched down Maisonneuve Boulevard on Sunday to celebrate Irish heritage in Quebec.
“Well, my grandfather used to live on the corner of St. Mark and St. Catherine, and he walked in the parade when he was a teenager. So the fact that we’re celebrating our 200th year in this parade, and I was in this parade when I was three years old, because my mother, that was my mother’s father that walked in this parade,” said Larry Smith, the former president of the United Irish Societies of Montreal.
Thousands of green-clad parade-goers cheered from the sidelines, as the parade was filled with music, dance, and of course – four-leaf clovers!
“I love the parade. It’s 25-30 years comes out of great. Have a great time. All the people, all the diversity, just a fun time,” said Kimberly.
A tradition that Kimberly has passed on to her daughter Emily who dreams, someday, to get on one of the big floats.
“Because I like seeing floats,” said a little girl CityNews spoke to. “Because they’re so big and huge and they’re really really cool.”
Guy Fournier said, “I am here because I have Irish roots from other side and my father is French but me I am very involved and everything related to Irish culture. I play music, I play tin whistle, bourbon, spoon.”
Laurant Tracey, the vice-president of advertising & public relations with United Irish Societies of Montreal adding, “I think whether you’re Irish or not, and a lot of people probably don’t realize they’re Irish. I think it’s a lot about how Irish up to 40 per cent of people in Quebec have Irish heritage. So I think it just shows how much we all come together.”
The parade first started on Saint-Paul Street in 1824, with officials saying this parade is older than the one held in Dublin. This year’s theme: “Emerald Connections, 200 Years of Unity and Community.”
“It’s all about unity and basically family, community, unity and Montreal. That’s kind of what we’re going for. I think it says a lot about how everyone comes together on this day,” said Tracey.
Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney was also in attendance and marched during the parade.
Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister on Friday, was joined by several Quebec-based cabinet ministers as he shook hands and waved to thousands gathered along the drizzly parade route in the downtown core.
Carney, who is also celebrating his 60th birthday, was serenaded by some revellers with happy birthday, some of whom who cheered his presence at the yearly Montreal staple.
-With files from the Canadian Press
