Hundreds attend coronation parade in Regina

The coronation of King Charles III is set for Saturday, but the Saskatchewan government celebrated the occasion a day early.

On Friday, hundreds were in attendance at a parade and ceremony held outside the Legislative Building on a windy Regina afternoon.

“I think it’s an incredibly exciting day,” said Tim McLeod, the MLA for Moose Jaw North. “Most people that are here participating weren’t alive the last time a coronation happened.”

It’s the first coronation in the Commonwealth in almost 70 years. King Charles III ascended the throne on Sept. 8 when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at the age of 96.

McLeod said he hopes King Charles will visit Saskatchewan sometime soon. Charles has visited the province twice before, both times as the Prince of Wales.

McLeod said the ceremony was a great educational and life experience, particularly for the many children who were in attendance.

“I think a lot of these children won’t even realize the significance of this event until they’re a little older, but what a great experience for them to be a part of,” McLeod said.

The parade was supported by the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP, as King Charles is expected to become the commander-in-chief and commissioner-in-chief for those organizations, respectively.

RCMP officers attend the coronation parade for King Charles III outside the Legislative Building on May 5, 2023. (Daniel Reech/980 CJME)

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces fired a 21-gun salute that reverberated through the air. There was also a flyby conducted by two jets from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Jason Quilliam, the province’s chief of protocol, said there will be steps towards reconciliation under King Charles.

“I think they’ve made some very positive steps in that direction already,” Quilliam said.

“One of the first visits that we saw even before the coronation that’s happening (Saturday) happened (Friday) with our governor-general (Mary Simon), who of course is Indigenous, and Indigenous leaders from Canada. They travelled to London and had a meeting (with the King) and from what I understand and from what I saw out of the governor-general’s office, (there were) some very positive outcomes and positive steps in that direction certainly.”

Representatives of the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 First Nations are scheduled to attend the coronation in London on Saturday.

In a media release, it said it would like to remind King Charles of the speech he made during his 2022 tour of Canada, when he spoke about the process of reconciliation and a commitment to healing.

Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty was scheduled to host the event at the Legislative Building, but Chief Justice Robert Richards did so in his stead.

Neither Quilliam nor McLeod were able to comment on the reasons for Mirasty’s absence.