The first Monday
is a holiday for people in many parts of Canada Known as “Civic Holiday”.
Discover why Canadian provinces celebrate some aspects of their history and achievements!
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On the first
Monday in august, in some places throughout the first week of Augusts, various
cultural events are held to celebrate local history and achievements. Know what
every Canadian province and territories do on this holiday.
Provincial Day
In many parts of
Canada, holiday on the first Monday in August is simply called civic day or
august holiday. But, a wide range of local names are also used. Some of these
are named after the name of their province such as British Columbia day, New
Brunswick Day and Saskatchewan day.
Others use names
to highlight a particular aspect of the celebrations such as Natal day in Nova Scotia
and Prince Edward’s island which marks the birthdays of these provinces. It is
called heritage day in Alberta.
In Ontario a
range of local names are used such as in Toronto it is called Simcoe day, in
Ottawa it is called colonel by day in honour of John By.
In Québec and
Yukon dates are different for the celebrations of local culture.
Heritage day in Alberta
Civic holiday or
Heritage day is an optional holiday in Alberta. Museums may be open, many
provincial government employees have a day off and post offices are closed, so
there is no regular delivery or collection of mail.
In 1974, the
Alberta government declared first Monday of august as annual holiday to celebrate
the heritage of Albertans. In 1975, a multicultural concert was held to
celebrate first heritage day. The Yukon also celebrates its heritage day.
Mostly Albertans
use this opportunity to go on out of town trips and to spend time with family
and friends. Many families plan camping trips, hiking tours or quiet retreats.
A special event
is held at Fort Calgary to celebrate heritage day which features interpretive
tours, movies, crafts, face paintings, a treasure hunt.
The major
attraction of this day is Servus heritage festival also called Edmonton
heritage festival which is attended by more than 400000 people every year.
Natal Day in Nova Scotia
People in Nova
Scotia hold birthday parties for their province on first Monday of august. Nova
Scotia has been a member of a Canadian confederation since July 1, 1867. Natal
in Latin means birth. Hence, Natal day is the official birthday of the
province.
The first natal
day celebrations were organized in 1895 and were intended to mark the arrival
of the railway line in the area. But the construction work was delayed and day
became celebration of history of Halifax and surrounding area.
British Columbia Day
BC day is a statutory
holiday in British Columbia and many people have a day off work. Post offices,
libraries are closed on this day. Public transport services may be reduced or
may not run at all.
Indigenous
people have inhabited BC. It is said that BC was travelled by Majorcan born
Spanish navigator Juan Jose Perez Hernandez in 1774. In 1778 James cook reached
Nootka Sound and set foot on British Columbian soil. In 1871, British Columbia
became the sixth province of the Dominion of Canada.
BC people use
their holiday weekend to make short trips out of town and into one of the areas
of beautiful scenery in this province. Some go camping, while other plan walks,
hike or canoe trips.
Many people
incorporate BC Day into their summer vacations to plan longer trips. Various
celebrations are organized in Vancouver which includes firework displays,
parades and cultural festivals. There are various events to honour the people
from Canada’s west coast in the areas of sports, cuisine, and technology and Canadian
Japanese culture.
New Brunswick Day
New Brunswick
area has been populated by first nations communities around 6000 years. In
1600s and 1700s the area was colonized by French and later by British. In 1867,
New Brunswick was one of the four provinces which formed the Canadian
confederation.
New Brunswick
day has been celebrated since 1976. Like British Columbia, this day is also a
statutory holiday in New Brunswick. Post offices, libraries are closed and
people have a day off work.
Another
interesting event takes place on this day. The New Brunswick day awards were
introduced in 1991 and have been celebrated ever since. New Brunswick merit
awards are presented to residents, businesses and organizations that contribute
in improving the life in the city, town or village.
Many communities
hold birthday parties for their province. A huge civic birthday cake is cut and
distributed among residents. There are various live entertainment events
organized on this day.
Many family
friendly events are organized that feature face painting, story tellers and
sports events. Large communal meals are
organized that include breakfast, barbeque or supper.
Many other
culinary competitions are organized featuring local produce such as Atlantic
salmon, fiddleheads.
Multiple local names in Ontario
The holiday is
called Simcoe day in Toronto in honour of the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper
Canada. Civic holiday has various local names as:
Colonel By day
in Ottawa
George Hamilton
day in Hamilton
Joseph Brant day
in Burlington
Alexander Mackenzie
Day in Sarnia
James Cockburn
day in Cobourg
Peter Robinson
day in Peterborough
Though a work
holiday is given to employees of federal and municipal governments, it is still
not a statutory holiday in Ontario. Schools are already closed due to summer
vacations so people plan longer trips. Many celebrations are low key and are
organized by community members.
In the end, you
can plan long trips as summer vacations and civic holiday come at the same
time. It’s a good chance to recharge yourself!
Enjoy your Civic
Holiday!
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