Skip to content

Here's 10 facts about Canada Day

1.
010715_John_A_MacDonald660
John A. MacDonald was Canada's first prime minister. He led the country into Confederation, now celebrated July 1 with Canada Day. Supplied photo.
1. Canada Day is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North America Act, which united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire.

2. On July 1, 1867, Confederation was celebrated with the ringing of the bells at the Cathedral Church of St. James in Toronto, as well as bonfires, fireworks, military displays and music — not much has changed!

3. A federal law was passed in 1879, making July 1 a statutory holiday s the anniversary of Confederation, which is later called Dominion Day.

4. July 1 was the date set for a number of important events, such as the first national radio hookup by the Canada National Railway in 1927, the flooding of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958, the first colour television transmission in 1966 and the establishment of O Canada as the country's national anthem in 1980.

5. In 1958, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker requested a budget of $14,000 for Dominion Day celebrations (which, of course, was worth much more back then).

6. On the 100th anniversary of Confederation, on July 1, 1967, Queen Elizabeth II attended celebrations on Parliament Hill.

7. On Oct. 27, 1982, Dominion Day officially became Canada Day.

8. When the change was made, numerous politicians, journalists and authors, such as Robertson Davies, decried the change, saying it was an unnecessary break with tradition.

9. Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ont. have, since the 1950s, celebrated both Dominion or Canada Day and the United States' Independence Day.

10. The 150th anniversary of Confederation is just two years away, on Canada Day in 2017.

Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.