Canada Day – July 1

By Crystal Arcand on July 1st, 2009

It’s been a trending Twitter topic for a couple of days already, but what exactly is Canada Day? Often referred to as Canada’s birthday, July 1 marks the date that the British North America Act was enacted. In this date in 1867, Canada’s three provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada were combined into a federation of four provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.

Formerly known as Dominion Day, it’s a federal statutory holiday set up on June 20, 1868 by this proclamation issued by the Governor General, Lord Monck:

PROCLAMATION CANADA

By His Excellency the Right Honourable Charles Stanley Viscount Monck, Baron Monck of Ballytrammon, in the County of Wexford, in the Peerage of Ireland, and Baron Monck of Ballytrammon, in the County of Wexford, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Governor General of Canada, &c., &c., &c.

To all to whom these presents shall come, or whom the same may concern — GREETING:

JOHN A. MACDONALD, Min. of Justice.

WHEREAS by Royal Proclamation dated at Windsor Castle on the 22nd day of May, in the year of our Lord 1867, Her Most Gracious Majesty did ordain, declare, and command, that on and after the 1st day of July, 1867, the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick should form and be one Dominion under the name of Canada;

AND WHEREAS the anniversary of the formation of the Dominion of Canada falls upon Wednesday, the 1st day of July next ensuing:

AND WHEREAS it is meet and proper that the said Anniversary should be observed and kept;

NOW KNOW YE, that I, Charles Stanley Viscount Monck, Governor General of Canada, do hereby proclaim and appoint WEDNESDAY, the FIRST day of JULY next, as the day on which the Anniversary of the formation of the Dominion of Canada be duly celebrated. And I do hereby enjoin and call upon all Her Majesty’s loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the due and proper celebration of the said Anniversary on the said FIRST day of JULY next.

Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at the Government House, in the

CITY of OTTAWA, in the said Dominion, this TWENTIETH day of JUNE, in the year of Our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight and in the thirty-first year of Her Majesty’s Reign.

MONCK.

BY COMMAND,

HECTOR L. LANGEVIN, Secretary of State

So to our Canadian readers, happy Canada Day! Check out the Canadian Heritage Regional Offices in your province to find out what’s happening in your area and go celebrate the federation! Have some of that yummy festival food for me, will ya?