Couples celebrate 10 years of marriage equality with vow renewal

Neville MacKay and David Macfarlane share a kiss after renewing their vows at a ceremony in Halifax.

In celebration of a decade of marriage equality in Canada, married couples gathered in Halifax Friday to renew their vows.

It's been ten years since Canada enacted the Civil Marriage Act, legalizing same sex marriage in this country. Canada was just the fourth country in the world and the first country outside Europe to do so.

Both opposite and same sex couples took part in the Still The One vow renewal to celebrate equality, pride week, and a big anniversary.

“What a wonderful turnout today to celebrate, love, commitment, and marriage,” said Halifax Mayor Mike Savage. “I really think it’s important to celebrate 10 years since the passage of C-38, the marriage equality. I think it should be commemorated.”

Halifax Police Chief Jean Michel Blais and his wife Marianne Mullard have been married for 13 years.

The happy couple said their vows in 2002 in front of friends and family, today, they renewed those vows in front of strangers with 25 other couples at Halifax’s City Hall.

“Married life has been very kind to me,” said Blais.

“I miss him when we’re sleeping, it’s been 13 wonderful years,” said Mullard.

Mayor Savage was on hand as officiate, as pair after pair took to the mic to share their love and share some secrets to a successful marriage.

“I think the secret to marriage is loving each other and just being there for each other,” said Heather Roberts. “Accept each other for who you are.”

“Honesty and communication has been the key, especially with the fellas, they’re not big on texting and talking,” said Rhea Gallant. “You gotta tell them what you want.”

Organizers asked attendees to share the love on Twitter, using #StillTheOneHfx and the hashtag was soon trending in Halifax.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelly Linehan