National pride and a spirit of international friendship drew a big crowd to the July 1 Canada Day celebration held at the Nuevo Chapala clubhouse.
Guests enjoyed the typical cookout fare, dance music and a light-hearted Canadian trivia contest that were put on jointly by the Canadian Club of Lake Chapala, The Royal Canadian Legion Lake Chapala Branch and the 904 Wing of the Canadian Air Force Association.
Decorations include a giant maple leaf flag that once flew over Ottawa’s Parliament buildings.
It was a bittersweet occasion for Canadian Consul and Trade Commissioner Francis Uy who will be leaving Guadalajara at the end of the month to take up a new post as Deputy Head of Mission in Helsinki, Finland.
He points to the agreeable climate and warm sense of community as the main attractions that have turned the Chapala area into an out-of-country hot spot for his fellow citizens, ranking second only in population to Dade City, Florida.