Socializing: CANADA Day 2020 – Morning Coffee Talks

 A lovely Wednesday morning (brief, on line) social gathering July 1'20) together with some of my available friends (while continuing to keep in line with the current guidance on physical distancing) celebrating the country we all love: CANADA. 

This year is Canada’s 153^rd birthday, and Canada Day is a bit different than before, as many restrictions still remain in place (large gatherings being banned, in-person events cancelled or held on line) in order to continue to flatten the COVID-19 curve.

But, despite the difficult times that we all are going through, to the best that we each can, it is important to be reminded that we all live in one of the greatest countries in the world. This is an appropriate occasion to honor our freedom, our values, our diversity and everything else that makes our nation such a special place we all call “home”.
Also, my most sincere appreciation to all of my guests today for expressing genuine gratitude for their life in Canada…different perspectives, different generations, different experiences, different demographics, different walks of life, but one voice: “Thank you, Canada!” May we each continue to grow in gratitude, as it has the potential to always bring new waves of joy and beauty into our lives!

Once more, to all my Canadian friends, near & far, from my heart to yours: HAPPY CANADA DAY, dear fellow Canadians! 

This event was featuring the Canadian life & culture.  

● Some of my additional greetings referring to CANADA Day – 2020, 2019 

● Additional references:

> Canada (an extensive descriptive material, as per Encyclopedia Britannica)

> The article our dear friend Dorina Aldea wrote about Canada: “Happy Birthday, Canada!”
● Few supplementary articles of large interest about Canada

– “The history of the National Flag of Canada”  │   – “10 Mind-Blowing Facts About Canada”   │   – “11 basic facts about Canada”

July 1, 2020: CANADA Day

            Happy Canada Day, dear fellow Canadians!
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 50^th 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 100^th 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