Canada ready to celebrate 152nd birthday with fireworks and flybys

OTTAWA – The skies will be filled with fireworks and military aircraft today as Canada Day celebrations are held across the country.

From Nova Scotia westward to British Columbia the military will soar high above revellers celebrating Canada's 152nd birthday, showcasing a range of aircraft both new and old including helicopters, Hercules transports, and fighter jets.

The Snowbirds are also set for a flypast of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa as part of the festivities in the nation's capital.

Once the sun goes down, Parliament Hill will also be the setting for the country's premier fireworks display.

In his statement marking the occasion, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that while there's a lot to celebrate in Canada, there's also room for improvement.

He notes that the benefits some Canadians reap are not shared across the board.

Trudeau will be at the Parliament Hill festivities to deliver remarks at around noon.

Meanwhile, Governor General Julie Payette says in a recorded statement she hopes Canadians get out and about regardless of the weather to hike, to celebrate and to watch the fireworks.

After all, she says, "we are a land of four solid seasons and it is not a little rain or a little snow that will stop us."

Though Confederation was 152 years ago, today is actually only the 140th Canada Day.

For the first dozen years that Canada was a country, there were no official celebrations, thanks in part to Nova Scotia politicians who felt they had been forced into Confederation, said Matthew Hayday, a history professor at the University of Guelph.