Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

Prince Harry surprises students by appearing at Toronto We Day event

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Sep, 2017 11:23 AM
  • Prince Harry surprises students by appearing at Toronto We Day event

Prince Harry surprised thousands of young people Thursday when he arrived unannounced at the Toronto We Day celebration.

Harry took the stage around lunchtime at Air Canada Centre, the host venue for the youth empowerment event.

The prince spoke about the importance of optimism in a cynical world.

There are a lot of scary forces in the world right now, he said, but hope for the future should remain the most important focus.

Harry touched specifically on environmental sustainability, telling the crowd that he understands their frustration about how "entrenched mindsets are not keeping pace with the urgency of the threats to our environment."

He also said he feels encouraged by how much young people value environmental causes.

The prince is in Toronto for the Invictus Games, the athletic competition for wounded military members that he founded in 2014. He took the stage following Invictus ambassador Rick Hansen, who toured the world in his wheelchair between 1985 and 1987 to raise money for spinal cord research.

After Hansen spoke, the crowd was told they were going to hear a recorded message from Prince Harry. When he came out onstage instead, he was greeted with enthusiastic cheers. Many of the audience members jumped up from their seats, and some even ran down from the aisles to try to get closer to the stage before they were stopped by security.

We Day holds events all over the world to encourage youth engagement in social causes. Singer Kelly Clarkson, actor Jacob Tremblay and sprinter Andre De Grasse were among the other speakers and perfomers at Thursday's show.

Image used for representation purposes only

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. woman files lawsuit against Canadian government over terrorist label

A B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit accuses the federal government of maliciously supplying false information about terrorist-related activity to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to secure lucrative military contracts for Canada's defence industry.

B.C. woman files lawsuit against Canadian government over terrorist label

'Dirty Chinese Restaurant' game denounced as racist by U.S., Ont. politicians

'Dirty Chinese Restaurant' game denounced as racist by U.S., Ont. politicians
A Toronto-area company's upcoming video game called "Dirty Chinese Restaurant" is being denounced as racist, but the business says its product is meant as satire.

'Dirty Chinese Restaurant' game denounced as racist by U.S., Ont. politicians

B.C. municipalities want campaign finance reform ahead of 2018 local elections

B.C. municipalities want campaign finance reform ahead of 2018 local elections
Municipalities in British Columbia want the provincial government to restrict the role of money in local politics in time for next year's elections.

B.C. municipalities want campaign finance reform ahead of 2018 local elections

Stop the presses? Newspapers snubbed in Liberal government's cultural policy

Stop the presses? Newspapers snubbed in Liberal government's cultural policy
The chair of News Media Canada says the country's struggling newspaper industry is "on its own" thanks to a federal cultural strategy that all but snubs so-called legacy media.

Stop the presses? Newspapers snubbed in Liberal government's cultural policy

Expert on money laundering appointed to review practices in B.C. casinos

Expert on money laundering appointed to review practices in B.C. casinos
An independent expert has been appointed by the B.C. government to conduct a review of the province's policies and practices to prevent money laundering in the gambling industry.

Expert on money laundering appointed to review practices in B.C. casinos

Police probe double homicide after couple found dead in south Vancouver home

Police probe double homicide after couple found dead in south Vancouver home
Vancouver police say they are investigating a double homicide after the bodies of a man and a woman in their 60s were found in a home on Wednesday.

Police probe double homicide after couple found dead in south Vancouver home