Drumming, dancing and fire shows were dazzling sights to see as Torontonians paraded in downtown streets Wednesday evening, celebrating the 21st anniversary of the 2003 Northeast blackout.
The night of enjoyment kicked off at Canoe Landing Park, with live music being played as crowds of residents trickled in for a picnic.
Paraders would later migrate on different paths, some taking a bike route, before briefly settling in the middle of King and Bathurst streets by night.
Social media users captured footage of the parade, where it shows hoards of residents dancing while surrounding fire dancers.
The Northeast blackout happened on Aug. 14, 2003, which led to Ontario and parts of the United States affected by a widespread power outage caused by a software bug. The outage impacted over four million people in Toronto, and 55 million people in total, plunging them into darkness for up to four days.
But the period without electricity only electrified Torontonians, as neighbourhoods began to come alive with cookouts, music, bonfires and companionship.
Since then, city residents have made it their mission to shine a light on the way Toronto residents banded together during a literal dark time.
Michael Louis Johnson, a flugelhorn player in the award-winning 12-piece band Lemon Bucket Orkestra, is a founder of the festivities.
The following year after the blackout, he helped to commemorate the date by playing at Kensington Market’s monthly live entertainment festival Pedestrian Sundays with a different band at the time.
It wouldn’t be until 2006 before Johnson and his friends decided to mark the day with a party, held at Bloor Street and Spadina Avenue. The yearly tradition continued, each year at a different location than the last, honouring the day the city lost power while highlighting the support Torontonians gave each other.
“It’s a celebration of Toronto,” Johnson told Now Toronto on Thursday.
“That event really showed that the downtown community, especially, just really showed up for each other.”
During events like this in a metropolitan city, human nature can often lead people to take advantage through crimes like looting. But Johnson explained that during this time, he witnessed residents lean on each other wholeheartedly instead. He remembers bars giving out drinks to patrons without money who promised to come back and pay, and grocery stores handing out free food for fear of spoilage.
“Nobody knew how long it was going to be,” Johnson said.
“But it was in light of generosity, and that’s why we celebrate it,” he added.
The anniversary party didn’t end at the King and Bathurst Street intersection, Johnson says, with the parade continuing southbound and finally ending at Garrison Common. Its final destination was met with cabaret performances, opera singers, and comedy routines, with some staying up until 1:30 a.m.
He estimates a parade crowd of between 1,500 and 2,000 participants.
Social media users are reacting to clips that have surfaced online of the parade, which many did not know existed.
“I was genuinely surprised to see this was a thing,” one user on Reddit said. “I’m considering joining next year. That blackout was quite a memory.”
“A celebration of humans helping each other. It’s pretty cool,” another user on the platform said. “No reason other than people care for each other. I like that!”
