by Sandy Winn

Created on: June 27, 2008   Last Updated: July 02, 2008

Hundreds of thousands of exuberant Canadians will commemorate their 141st birthday in places like Montreal, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and other areas around their stunning and tremendous country that spans no less than six time zones, on July 1. Parades with their country's red and white maple flag leading the way, festivals, and fireworks will await them and make for a grand day to be remembered - but their 141st birthday of what? The day that marks a revolt that eventually led to the decline of an absolute monarchy? No. Complete independence? Not entirely, because that did not fully happen until 1982 - talk about "patience is a virtue." It does, however, celebrate unity. Here are some interesting Canada Day facts regarding how "Canada Day" came to be...

1) The British North America Act of July 1, 1867 was Canada's Constitution based on British laws. A Dominion was formed when the British Colonies of The Province of Canada and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, were united. Hence, the official birthday of a Dominion in Canada.

2) The Governor General of Canada, Charles Stanley Viscount Monck, called upon Queen Victoria's subjects to celebrate the first "Anniversary of the formation of the Dominion of Canada", on June 20, 1868.

3) There were no celebrations of Dominion Day recorded until eleven years later despite the proclamation given by Governor General Monck in 1868. However, on May 15,1879, an act requiring respect of Dominion Day was given and was deemed the Dominion Day Act.

4) The Ottawa Gazette reported on July 2, 1879 that Dominion Day was observed in Ottawa, under the page 4 headline, "Our National Holiday - How it was observed - Picnics, cricket matches."

5) In 1886, the Dominion Day Act was revised in the Revised Statutes of Canada which states the following (original spelling and grammar are left intact): "Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the first day of July, not being a Sunday, shall be a legal holiday, and shall be kept and observed as such, under the name of "Dominion Day". 42V., c.47, s.l." To this day, when Canada Day falls on a Sunday, the celebration takes place the following day.

6) On June 16, 1917 an official proclamation for the observance of the fiftieth anniversary of Dominion Day was issued by the Governor General of Canada.

7) On July 2, 1917 Ottawa celebrated Dominion Day on Parliament Hill with a military parade and the Parliament Building was dedicated as a memorial to the Confederation of Confederation Fathers and Canadians who

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