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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was all smiles, shaking hands and posing for selfies with his constituents in Papineau riding at a Fête nationale street party.

But Trudeau shunned journalists and their pesky questions at the afternoon event in the Villeray district, where dozens of children glided down giant inflatable slides set up in the middle of the street.

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“It’s a good day today,” he said, shaking the hand of a Montreal Gazette reporter before moving on through a crowd of bystanders huddled between kiosks and strollers, waiting their turn to greet him.

But some of the prime minister’s constituents were only too happy to comment on Britain’s vote to exit the European Union — a topic that set off global financial panic and had sovereignist politicians rejoicing that referendums were back in the news.

Parti Québécois leadership hopeful Alexandre Cloutier said at the Fête nationale parade in downtown Montreal that Trudeau’s recognition of the 52-per-cent Brexit win means Quebec would have the right to separate, should more than 50 per cent of voters agree.