Weather plays havoc with Fête nationale events in Quebec

MONTREAL — Thunderstorms and heavy rain dampened Fête nationale festivities in Quebec’s provincial capital region on Monday.

About 15 minutes before a concert was set to begin on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, organizers cancelled the event and evacuated the area due to extreme weather that brought thunder, lightning and heavy downpours.

The violent thunderstorm that swept through the Capitale-Nationale and the Chaudière-Appalaches region just south has left more than 70,000 customers without power in the Quebec City area on Tuesday.

Quebec is also facing heat warnings as it celebrates its national holiday.

Montreal will be hosting a parade beginning at 2 p.m., followed by an evening concert at Parc Maisonneuve featuring artists such as Robert Charlebois and Sara Dufour.

This year’s celebrations will commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the first performance of Gilles Vigneault’s song “Gens du pays,” which is often considered the province’s unofficial anthem.

Quebec says nearly 650 events are happening across the province to mark the holiday also known as St-Jean-Baptiste Day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2025.