TORONTO - From a "moonwalk flashmob" in downtown Toronto and soaring sales in record stores, to tributes on TV and radio, Canadians are showing their love for Michael Jackson.
There was a party atmosphere as about 500 fans converged on Toronto's Yonge and Dundas Square on Friday night. Most watched as about two dozen people danced to Jackson songs. One said Jackson was his inspiration.
The dancing moved into the intersection, obeying the traffic signals, to shouts of "Moonwalk for Michael."
Meanwhile, Canadians were scooping up Jackson's music in stores and online.
HMV Canada said by Friday afternoon, the five top-selling CDs in HMV Canada stores were by Jackson, as were the three top-selling DVDs.
Jackson merchandise was also topping the charts on iTunes Canada.
As of Friday afternoon, Jackson's hits "Black or White" and "Thriller" were in the Top 10 on iTunes Canada's list of top songs.
"Michael Jackson Number Ones," "The Essential Michael Jackson" and "Thriller" were No. 1, 2 and 3 respectively on the iTunes list of top albums.
Several other Jackson tunes were also quickly filling up each list.
As well, media outlets shuffled their schedules to fit in Jackson programming.
Shows lined up for the weekend beyond the regular news coverage included "The Wiz," a four-time Oscar-nominated musical remake of "The Wizard of Oz" co-starring Jackson and Diana Ross. It's set to air on Bravo on Saturday night.
On Sunday, Jackson will be the focus of the BET Awards and Star is repeating "ETalk: Remembering Michael" on Saturday and Sunday.
Sirius Satellite Radio Canada and XM Canada satellite radio are commemorating Jackson's life with weekend-long programming on many of their music channels.
HMV Canada says it will also likely increase the amount of Jackson songs on its in-store radio program and is "actively working to quickly replenish" its stock of Jackson merchandise.
