This year (on July 1st, 2020), we all celebrate Canada’s 153rd birthday, but unlike the years before, since we all continue to navigate through the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe that more than ever, this is an important time to bring communities together to virtually share the very special bond of living in one of the greatest countries in the world, and to celebrate our freedom, our values, our diversity, and everything else that makes our nation such a special place we all call ‘home’.
National Anthem: ‘O Canada’ – audio
A brief historical background
On July 1, 1867, the nation was officially born when the “Constitution Act” joined three provinces into one country: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canada province, which then split into Ontario and Quebec. However, Canada was not completely independent of England until 1982. The holiday called “Dominion Day” was officially established in 1879, but it wasn't observed by many Canadians, who considered themselves to be British citizens. “Dominion Day” started to catch on when the 50th anniversary of the confederation rolled around, in 1917. In 1946, a bill was put forth to rename “Dominion Day”, but arguments in the House of Commons over what to call the holiday stalled the bill.
The
100th anniversary of the nation's official creation in 1967 saw the
growth of the spirit of Canadian patriotism, & “Dominion Day” celebrations began to take off. Although many Canadians already called the
holiday “Canada Day” (“Fête du Canada”),
the new name wasn't formally adopted until October 1982.
● A previous post on the same theme: CANADA Day – 2019