Maude Charron, Josh Cassidy lead Canada at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony

Olympic weightlifting champion Maude Charron and wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy led Canada into the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on Thursday. 

The Canadian team is missing some of its biggest stars including sprinter Andre De Grasse and swimmer Penny Oleksiak, who've had busy seasons with world championships in their sports. 

The opening ceremony was described as a love letter to Birmingham, its history and its vibrant, multi-cultural community, with 30,000 tickets sold for the occasion.

WATCH | Charron, Cassidy lead Canada at Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony:

Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley protested intolerance toward the LGBTQ+ community during the event. 

The British diver, who is married to Oscar-winning director Dustin Lance Black, played a key role as one of the last bearers in the Queen's Baton Relay.

The 28-year-old Daley entered Alexander Stadium surrounded by a group carrying Pride flags as part of a broader campaign regarding the toxic culture toward homosexuality held by more than half of the competing nations in the Games.

The two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist did so with a broad smile, mindful the event is celebrating a theme of diversity and inclusion, though he also paid tribute to the six people who walked into the stadium carrying the Pride flags.

WATCH | British diver Tom Daley condems intolerance toward LGBTQ+ community:

"In over half of the Commonwealth countries, homosexuality is still a crime and in 3 of those countries the maximum penalty is the death sentence," Daley wrote on his Instagram account. "These laws are a legacy of colonialism. This opening ceremony for us is about showing LGBTQ+ visibility to the billion people watching..."

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