Hundreds stop and gather around Bay-Bloor store TVs in Toronto for Obama inauguration and swearing in speech

There are still some world events you need to experience live with a bunch of people in front of a television. President Obama taking the oath of office today was one such event.

I was rushing through some morning grocery shopping in downtown Toronto trying to get home for the 11:59 am swearing in ceremony. As I realized I just wasn’t going to make it – I wandered into a large crowd of people gathered in front of the televisions at Bay-Bloor radio. (and hats off to the Bay-Bloor store for beautifully broadcasting the event on CNN HD big screen tv’s.)

When Obama spoke those last words of his swearing in, “… and defend the Constitution of the United States.” – the crowd in the downtown Toronto mall erupted in cheers and applause. Another example of Canadians feeling more passion and interest towards American politics than our own. (That is, unless a soap opera breaks out.)

It’s not often a news event in the world has the power to freeze people. Get them stopped in their tracks and watching. The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States certainly did that today in Toronto.

“With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.” – PRESIDENT OBAMA

Did you watch the Obama inauguration live? How did you feel?

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