By David Gold

paralympic heroes_tour_21-09-12September 21 - Canada's Paralympians have join the country's Olympic team to participate in a celebratory "Heroes Tour" this week, where they are joined Olympic athletes on a trip across Toronto and Ottawa to celebrate their achievements at London 2012. 

The tour gave them the chance to meet with students, community leaders and clubs, as well as members of the Canadian army, allowing the public to join in the celebrations of their achievements.

Canada won 31 medals, seven of them gold, at the London 2012 Paralympics, more than half of which came in swimming.

Benoît Huot was one of their main stars of the Games, picking up gold, silver and bronze at the Aquatics Centre, while the wheelchair rugby team beat the world's top team, the United States, on their way to a silver medal.

Other notable achievements of the Games for Canada came from Summer Mortimer, the winner of another two swimming gold medals, and Michelle Stilwell, who claimed gold in the T52 200 metres and a silver in the 100m event.

The wheelchair basketball team regained the gold medal they won at Athens 2004, with a victory over reigning champions Australia, thanks largely to a remarkable performance from the retiring Patrick Anderson.

Patrick Anderson_helped_Canada_secure_the_London_2012_wheelchair_basketball_gold_medalPatrick Anderson helped Canada secure the London 2012 wheelchair basketball gold medal

"I am so excited to be able to share my Paralympic experience in London with Canadians," said Huot, Canada's Closing Ceremony Flagbearer.

"This is a great celebration of the accomplishments of our Paralympic and Olympic athletes and gives Canadians a taste of the excitement in London.

"It will be great to relive some of the emotions from London."

The celebrations began with a tour in Ottawa, taking in a number of schools and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

The Canadian teams were then welcomed to the House of Commons by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medals.

The tour then moved onto Toronto, visiting a number of schools and hospitals on that leg of the tour, with the Paralympians then going on to attend a reception at Queen's Park, hosted by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley.

The tour finished today with a parade through Toronto, which concluded at Maple Leaf Square outside the Air Canada Centre.

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