Canada Day

Canada Day
Children watch the Canada Day parade in Montreal
Also called	Fête du Canada; previously named Dominion Day
Observed by	Canadians (Canada)
Type	Historical, cultural, nationalist
Date	July 1
Celebrations	Fireworks, parades

Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada), formerly Dominion Day, is Canada's national day, a federal statutory holiday, celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North America Act of 1867, which united Canada as a single country of four provinces. Canada Day observances take place throughout Canada as well as internationally.

Commemoration

Frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday," particularly in the popular press,^[1][2][3] the occasion marks the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867. However, though Canada is regarded as having become a kingdom in its own right on that date,^[4] the British Parliament at first kept limited rights of political control over the new country, which were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were ended in 1982, when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution. Canada Day thus differs from Independence Day celebrations in other countries in that it does not commemorate a clear-cut date of complete independence.

History

Canada Day celebrations on Wellington Street, in front of the Château Laurier, in Ottawa.

On June 20, 1868, then Governor General Lord Monck issued a royal proclamation asking for Canadians to "celebrate the anniversary of the confederation."^[5] However, the holiday was not established statutorily until 1879, when it was designated as Dominion Day, in reference to the designation of the country as a Dominion in the British North America Act, 1867. The holiday was initially not dominant in the national calendar; up to the early 20th century, Canadians thought themselves to be primarily British, being thus less interested in celebrating distinctly Canadian forms of patriotism. No official celebrations were therefore held until 1917 – the golden anniversary of Confederation – and then none again for a further decade.^[6]

This trend declined in the post-World War II era; beginning in 1958, the Canadian government began to orchestrate Dominion Day celebrations, usually consisting of Trooping the Colour ceremonies on Parliament Hill in the afternoon and evening, followed by a mass band concert and fireworks display. Canada's centennial in 1967 is often seen as an important milestone in the history of Canadian patriotism, and in Canada's maturing as a distinct, independent country, after which Dominion Day became more popular with average Canadians. Into the late 1960s, nationally televised, multi-cultural concerts held in Ottawa were added, and the fête became known as Festival Canada; after 1980 the Canadian government began to promote the celebrating of Dominion Day beyond the national capital, giving grants and aid to cities across the country to help fund local activities.

With only twelve Members of Parliament present, the private member's bill that proposed to change the name to Canada Day was passed in the House of Commons in five minutes, and without debate.^[7] With the granting of Royal Assent, the name was officially changed to Canada Day on October 27, 1982, a move largely inspired by the adoption of the Canada Act, earlier in the year. Although the proposal caused some controversy,^[7] many Canadians had already been informally referring to the holiday as Canada Day for a number of years before the official name change occurred.^[8]

As the anniversary of Confederation, Dominion Day, and later Canada Day, was the date set for a number of important events, such as the inauguration of the CBC's cross-country television broadcast (1958), the flooding of the Saint Lawrence Seaway (1958), the first colour television transmission in Canada (1966), the inauguration of the Order of Canada (1967), and the establishment of "O Canada" as the country's national anthem (1980). Other events fell on the same day coincidentally, such as the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916  – shortly after which the province of Newfoundland and Labrador recognized July 1 as Memorial Day to commemorate the Newfoundland Regiment's heavy losses during the battle^[9][10] – and the enactment of the Chinese Immigration Act in 1923 – leading Chinese-Canadians to refer to July 1 as Humiliation Day and boycott Dominion Day celebrations, until the act was repealed in 1947.^[11]

Activities

Canada Day celebrations in Iqaluit, 1999.

Most communities across the country will host organized celebrations for Canada Day, usually outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts,^[12] as well as citizenship ceremonies for new citizens.^[13][14] There is no standard mode of celebration for Canada Day; professor of International Relations at the University of Oxford Jennifer Welsh said of this: "Canada Day, like the country, is endlessly decentralized. There doesn't seem to be a central recipe for how to celebrate it – chalk it up to the nature of the federation.^[15] However, the locus of the celebrations is the national capital, Ottawa, Ontario, where large concerts, presided over by the Governor General, are held on Parliament Hill, as well as other parks around the city and in Hull, Quebec. The sovereign may also be in attendance at Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa; Queen Elizabeth II was present in 1990, 1992, and 1997.^[16] The Queen also helped celebrate Canada's 100th anniversary on July 1, 1967.^[6]

Given the federal nature of the holiday, celebrating the event can be a cause of friction in the province of Quebec. For example, the federal government funds events at the Old Port – an area run by a federal Crown corporation – while the parade is a grassroots effort that has been met with pressure to cease, even from federal officials.^[17] The nature of the event has also been met with criticism from English Canadians, such as Ottawa Citizen columnist David Warren, who said in 2007: "The Canada of the government-funded paper flag-waving and painted faces – the 'new' Canada that is celebrated each year on what is now called 'Canada Day' – has nothing controversially Canadian about it. You could wave a different flag, and choose another face paint, and nothing would be lost."^[18]

Canada Day has been celebrated for decades in Greenfield Park, Quebec (now a borough of Longueuil). Greenfield Park has been traditionally a predominantly English speaking community. There is a parade ending at the Greenfield Park Legion and many veterans and citizens participate. There are often dance and music performances and food kiosks selling refreshments with the proceeds going to clubs and schools. There are also inflated amusement slides and rides for the children. Later in the evening there is a fireworks display. There has never been a public debate or controversy over this Canada Day Celebration and it is a completely bilingual event. Thousands of people attend and participate and it is a very popular celebration.

International celebrations

Canadian expatriates will organize Canada Day activities in their local area on or near the date of the holiday. For instance, since June 30, 2006, annual Canada Day celebrations have been held at Trafalgar Square – the location of Canada House – in London, England. Organized by the Canadian community in the United Kingdom and the Canadian High Commission, the event features Canadian performers and a demonstration of street hockey, amongst other activities.^[19] Also, since 2000, the Victoria Cross bar in Sydney, Australia, is the location for official Canada Day celebrations, events take place in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong, for Canada D'eh!, and members of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan mark each Canada Day at their base.^[20][21]

Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, have, since the 1950s, celebrated Dominion Day or Canada Day and the United States' Independence Day with the International Freedom Festival. A massive fireworks display over the Detroit River, the strait separating the two cities, is held annually with hundreds of thousands of spectators attending. A similar event occurs at the Friendship Festival, a joint celebration between Fort Erie, Ontario, and neighbouring Buffalo, New York, of Canada Day and Independence Day.

Exceptions

Under the federal Holidays Act, Canada Day is observed on July 1 unless that date falls on a Sunday, in which case July 2 is the statutory holiday, although celebratory events generally take place on July 1 even though it is not the legal holiday.^[22] If it falls on a Saturday, the following Monday is generally also a day off for those businesses ordinarily closed on Saturdays.

See also

• Public holidays in Canada
• National Flag of Canada Day
• Moving Day

Footnotes

External links

• Government of Canada site on Canada Day
• National Capital Commission
• Holidays Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. H-5
• We should be celebrating Dominion Day
• CBC Digital Archives: Dominion Day no more

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