People across Saskatchewan will gather to pay tribute to one of the province's most renowned Métis icons Thursday, on the anniversary of the day he was hanged for treason.
Louis Riel was executed in Regina by the Canadian government on Nov. 16, 1885. Although hanged for treason, the Métis leader has since been celebrated for heading a resistance movement against the federal government which fought for the rights of Métis and Francophone people in Western Canada.
The Métis flag will be raised at a number of venues on Thursday.
In addition to a number of flag-raising ceremonies, several events will take place in Regina and Saskatoon on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of Riel's death.
March, official ceremony in Regina
Residents are invited to gather at Optimist Park on Dewdney Avenue for a march to the RCMP barracks at 4:30 p.m. CST.
An official ceremony will follow at the RCMP Heritage Centre at 5 p.m.
A crowd gathered in Friendship Park in Saskatoon on Thursday for a ceremony to honour Louis Riel. (Trevor Borthorel/CBC News)
Saskatoon ceremony, display
A short ceremony took place in front of the statue of Gabriel Dumont at Friendship Park in Saskatoon's downtown at 10:30 a.m. CST.
At 1:00 p.m., visitors are invited to check out a display dedicated to Riel and Métis veterans at the Gabriel Dumont Institute.
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Additionally, the Gabriel Dumont Institute and the Federation of Francophones of Saskatoon will co-host a celebration at Station West 20, west of downtown, at 7:00 p.m.
