Canada Day is fêted on July 1st across the country. July 1st marks the anniversary of the creation of the union of the British North America provinces in a alliance under the name of Canada – that’s the nominal explanation, but Canada Day also means fireworks and the year’s biggest national party. The Canada Day holiday is akin to the U.S. July 4th festivity but on a more Canadian scale.

Schools, banks, government offices and many other stores and businesses are closed on .Call ahead to restaurants, stores and tourist attractions to verify Canada Day hours.

Typically, Canada Day celebrations incorporate parades, fireworks, barbecues and other get-togethers. Check local tourist sites or the Government of Canada list of Canada Day celebrations.

In Quebec, Canada Day is not celebrated as fervently as in the rest of the country. Federal offices, schools, banks are closed but many populace in Quebec appear at July 1st as “moving day,” as this date has been historically the end of lease agreements. So if you have agreements it will end on this day.

Visitors other than the U.S. have always needed a passport to enter Canada. On the other hand, because of a friendly boundary crossing agreement between Canada and the United States, Canada Border Services did not want U.S. citizens to present a passport to enter Canada. This friendly boundary crossing agreement used to be mutual; however, now the WHTI requires that U.S. citizens have a passport to return home. In this way, passport requirements for Canada and U.S. borders are different on paper, but, are in practice, the same. Canada will not allow a U.S. citizen into the country that does not have the proper documentation to return home.

See below for a listing all the national public holidays in Canada

Aug 1-    First Monday of August Civic Holiday: celebrated by most provinces.

Sept 5-   Labors Day (first Mon. of Sept.)

Oct 10- Thanksgiving Day (2nd Mon of Oct)

Nov 11-Remembrance Day (banks and government offices closed, but most business & schools open)

Dec 25 -Christmas Day

Dec 26 -Boxing Day (most stores open)

Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, take part in Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa July 1, 2011.

On Friday Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the national holiday in Canada and marked the country’s 144th birthday.

The royal couple are will fly to Quebec  and visit the cookery school in Montreal. In nine days the royal couple are going to visit seven Canadian cities.

30 June: Arrival in Ottawa

1 July: Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

2 July: Visit to a cookery school in Montreal

3 July: Freedom of the city ceremony in Quebec City

4 July: Prince William takes part in Sea King helicopter training session on Prince Edward Island

5 July: Visit to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories

7 July: Arrival in Calgary

8 July: Attend Calgary Stampede. Leave for US

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also presented national flags to 25 new Canadian who had came from different 12 countries.

Cost of preparation by Canadian government excluding the security was estimated to be 1.4 million Canadian dollar or ( (£958,580).

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                In 1840, the Act of Union saw the uniting of Upper and Lower Canada, and from there, Canada’s relationship with Britain started on a long change lasting about 27 years. Britain took a further step in 1846, cancelling the Corn Laws, which had guaranteed Canada a buyer for their wheat products, and resulted in a depression in Canada. These economic troubles were one of many arguments for creating a country, as it would allow the country to produce their own economical relationships and a specialized trading system moulded to Canada’s needs. Other advantages of the Confederation included a much stronger national defence, the ability to have an independent trading market, and a fair, representative and responsible government. Talks began to emerge amongst the colonies of British North America. The Charlottetown Conference, held in Charlottetown in September of 1864, was initially intended for discussion of a Maritime union, consisting of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. However, when politicians of Canada had heard of the meeting, they thought that it would be a perfect opportunity to convince these other colonies to join the Confederation. Canada joined in on talks, and as a group, all parties whom had attended the Conference agreed to having another held in Quebec to tie up loose ends. The Quebec Conference was held a month later, in October, and as a result, seventy-two resolutions were drafted and were to be debated in each of the colonies’ respective legislatures to determine if they would join the others in Confederation. Finally, in 1866, representatives from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and both Canada East and West travelled to Britain, where the British Parliament agreed to, and passed the British North America Act, finalizing the union of the colonies. In years following the Act, nine new provinces and territories emerged, forming the Canada we see today.

It all started with a shot on Lexington Green. Britain’s world fell to pieces on April 18th, 1775, with a misunderstood military order leading to “the shot heard around the world”. The American Revolution saw thirteen colonies rise against their leader as a result of a long history of political instability and tension between the two parties. Britain had begun to fall into financial troubles after the costs of providing America with British military forces and the expense caused by the Seven Years War had taken up a large portion of British funds. To offset this, Britain begun to push tax upon tax on the Americans, who grew more and more discontented. As years went by and taxes were amounted, the Americans grew restless and many wanted a revolution. Violence in the public streets of America grew common, and more than several times, giant mobs of rebels organized protests and sometimes even organized destruction and vandalism of political building’s and houses of governors. Others strongly believed in staying loyal to Britain, whose group was rightly named as the Loyalists. After what seemed to be an impossible underdog victory by the USA, Britain was forced to release the colonies from their control in an unforgettable battle named the Revolutionary War. The war itself lasted around eight years, though events that had sparked the fire had begun a long time before 1775. Britain’s motive for the taxes and acts put in place wasn’t to farm money from the colony, but rather to crawl out of a hole that they had dug themselves into which involved their empire expanding beyond control. It only seemed fit to them that because British North America had caused so much financial hardship that it was their duty to help Britain out of their predicament.

To try to allow their economy to settle, the British wanted to avoid war in North America, due to the costs of transporting soldiers across the Atlantic Ocean, and costs of weaponry. In 1763, a Royal Proclamation, an announcement from the king of England, stated that no one from the 13 American colonies was to move into the Ohio River Valley, or buy land west of the Appalachian mountain range to try to ease tensions with Native tribes. This angered the citizens of the Thirteen Colonies because it prevented them from expanding westwards, for one, and it made them think that they were thought of as inferior by the British. It was acts by the British government like these that made Americans see red. Amongst the first of these fatal mistakes was the Stamp Act, passed by the Parliament in 1765, which had placed a tax, not much different from the GST that we pay today. The funds that it had generated went straight to England. It was placed on all printed merchandise (books, newspapers, playing cards, etc.), and it wasn’t before long that people took a stand against it. A notable group was the Sons of Liberty, consisting of people radically opposed to the Stamp Act. They began on a violent rampage that saw all enforcers of the act to resign and American merchants to refuse imports from Britain. The Stamp Act was an utter failure, repealed in 1766 and was as suicidal for the British as playing catch with a grenade. The Sons of Liberty would play another role in rebellions against the British, this time, in an event named the Boston Tea Party. They showed their anger for the Tea Act by sneaking aboard cargo ships which were carrying tea into the Boston harbour. They dressed as Mohawks and emptied every last bit of tea on the boats into the harbour, destroying the cargo. This rebellion caused Britain to strengthen enforcement around the colonies. In April of 1775, on Lexington Green, the British forces consisting of 700 soldiers were initially ordered to destroy the weapon supply of the rebellious colonists. When they unexpectedly encountered the seventy-man strong militia, General Gage gave the order to hold all British fire. The first battle of the Revolutionary War really shouldn’t have happened had orders been properly followed, except that one shot from British lines sparked a volley of musket fire, which in all, caused casualties of 8 militiamen, and having 10 wounded. In 1776, on July 4th, the Declaration of Independence, mainly written by Thomas Jefferson, was signed and made official, finalizing America’s separation from Britain. The revolutionary Continental Army, led by America’s first president, George Washington, continued the hard-fought conflict with the British army. Fights and battles continued between the two parties, and soon, America was looking like they had the short end of the stick, until France becomes their ally, giving the fate of the war a whole new face. The Treaty of Alliance officially named the two sides as allies, agreeing that fighting will not cease until American independence was won, and that neither side will agree to peace with the British without the other’s consent. With the help of France, the colonists are soon able to overpower the British might in 1782, ending the revolutionary war by capturing New York, Britain’s last stronghold. The war was declared as officially ended on April 11, 1783 by Congress. Finally, to agree on Britain’s total separation from the 13 United States, the Treaty of Paris was signed by both American and British representatives, officially making America a free-standing republic.

Many differences and few similarities compare the American Revolution to the Canadian Confederation, aside from the date and names of the two. They both started off becoming colonies of European countries, as a result of various explorers seeking different goals. Fur trade in Canada was, historically, a gold mine for Britain and France, and was the first step to building a new country. Being the first to set up fur trade in Canada, New France had been accidentally discovered by Jacques Cartier on his expedition to find the Northwest Passage to Asia. Samuel de Champlain pursued settlement in Canada to begin New France’s fur-based economy. The big boom of the French fur trade lasted for about 50 years, before being matched, if not replaced, by mercantilism, where raw materials were shipped to France’s colonies in the West Indies, where from there, refined products, such as rum and sugar, made its way back to France to be sold. France was soon driven out of Canada however, in an event called the Seven Years War. The final result was the transfer of New France and Acadia to British control, and Britain now had a monopoly on the fur trade in Canada. Rupert’s Land made up much of the land in Canada at the time and it was Britain’s fur trading land, given to Pierre Radisson and Medart de Groseilliers in 1669, to start trade via the HBC, from King Charles II, and remained on the map until the early 1870s, past Canada’s Confederation. Immigrants mainly from the British Isles and France came to Canada in search of a new beginning in life, some to begin in the fur trade business, such as the coureur de bois, and others because of the attractive benefits that could be the result of cheap, affordable land as advertised “back home”. In America, the first British colony in America was Jamestown, and it provided the beginnings of an economy in America based around raw materials trade. To start the colony was a task of great hardship; only a third of the original settlers from the voyage were alive after one year.  Tobacco was the main crop in Jamestown, which drew many rich businessmen to start plantations and hire slaves to stake their claim at profits from the cash crop. Eventually, more and more settlers arrived, and extended across an area which encompassed thirteen present-day states, known as the Thirteen Colonies. The original motives for colonizing each country were similar in the fact that their beginnings were centralized around trade for raw materials, however, America was already starting to rely less and less on other people. The fur trade in Canada wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Native peoples such as the Iroquois, whereas the tobacco industry was easily self proficient; all that was needed was land, slaves, and the money to fund it all. Both countries, though, had a guaranteed buyer for their goods in Britain, and, for Canada, in France before the Seven Years War.

                Not only were the motives for their original colonization worth noting, but so was that of their reasons for independency. Looking back into the Seven Years War, more troubles than benefits came from the British both participating and winning. New France and Acadia now fall under the control of Britain, although, the amount of casualties from the victor’s side was over eleven thousand, and just the cost of the war nearly doubled England’s national debt. Falling into a state of financial instability, Britain seeks funds from their colonies. The American Revolution was the result of Britain’s rush to dig themselves out of their economic troubles. With unfair taxation placed on the colonists of America (Stamp Act, Tea Act, etc.), it didn’t take long for people to become angry. Canada’s Confederation was also a result of the financial troubles in Britain. Having fought in two major battles, one of which was caused by an attempt to recover from an already critical economy, Britain decided that it couldn’t take any more hits. The British Parliament began to force their colonies in Canada to work within themselves to create an agreement to fall away from British rule and become their own nation, starting with repealing the Corn Laws. This agreement ensured that Britain would buy wheat and crops from Canada, with low duties and taxes, which, logically, caused much of Canada’s industry to shift towards agriculture and exports. When the agreement was repealed, however, Canada went into a depression because a large portion of concentration on the production and exporting of grain. This forced Canada to try find other buyers and other industries to thrive with, and the only way to accomplish this was to create its personal economic policy, which required Canada to have its own self- sufficient government, which finally meant that Canada needed to become its own country. After a series of important meetings in Charlottetown, Quebec, and London, the British North America Act was signed, and Canada was officially granted its hard-fought Confederation. In each of the country’s “fight” for independence, the main contributing factor was that Britain was in need of some money. It could have been possible that Canada would have had a violent revolution to gain a republic, if the British government hadn’t learned from their mistakes in its Thirteen Colonies to the south. Fortunately, they had learned their lesson, and decided that it wasn’t worth the risk to try to come back economically, and decided to cut their losses by cutting away Canada.

                As a matter of fact, at one point, it seemed that Canada was on track to having a violent, radical reform, in 1837. The Rebellions of 1837 in Upper and Lower Canada were caused by citizens feeling the need for responsible and representative government, and the impossibility to overthrow the aristocracy they were being ruled under. Both these rebellions and the American Revolution wanted a better way to be governed, and a say in how they are ruled, in other words, responsible and representative government. The main difference in the Rebellions of 1837 and the American Revolution was that Britain didn’t pour more fuel into the flames with Canada. What this basically means is that after an uprising by the citizens, the British stopped what was making them angry. In America, even after multiple protests, mobs, and property damage, the British still pushed out taxes and acts that would cost and anger Americans. In the Rebellions of 1837, Lord Durham was sent to investigate and find resolutions to the problems that caused the uprising, marking the British concern for the fate of their rule over the colony.

Canada had retrieved their independence through peaceful means. Achieved through political might, going through a month of collaborations with political leaders around the nation, and drafting and signing an agreement to Confederation, yet still recognize the monarchy of Britain as their Head of State sums up how Canada gained countryhood. America, however, never had the luxury of being able to see eye-to-eye with the British Parliament. Whenever the colonists tried to change or get the government to repeal a tax, their voices were as quiet as a drop of a pin during a rocket launch, simply for the fact that they had no representation in the way that they were governed. Radical revolutionary forces saw no other way to get what they wanted other than a full scale military attack, and eventually, they planted this thought into the minds of people across the country. This belief that violence will solve their problems was iffy, and at one point, looked as if it were going to fail, until the French arrived with much needed military support, winning them the Revolutionary War. Needless to say, differences in the approach for countryhood were very different; Canada holding a moderate opinion on resolution of independence, and America through radical reform and violent means. Another key difference is the willingness of Britain to let go of the country. Even after the Declaration of Independence was signed, Britain refused to remove their rule on America, and fighting didn’t cease for years. Canada in its Confederation, however, seemed to be the side that had the most trouble letting go. Britain was pushing them away, giving them an opportunity to take responsibility and create a nation, rather than risk having independence forcefully taken, like what had happened with the Thirteen Colonies, which would result in all ties being cut between the two countries.

                Finally, we come to the part of the report that we’ve all been dying for, how thier histories affect their present day behaviours. The course of both Canadian and American history, since July 1st, 1867 and July 4th, 1776, respectively, have brought events that define each country, shape them into what we see today. But the question lies, was what we see today, really mapped out roughly 200 years ago?

                America has such a powerful role in the world that it has the ability to control or affect international affairs and other worldwide concerns, such as the economy. Just recently, the World Stock Exchange suffered one of the worst recessions in history, and this was mainly caused by recklessness in bank loans and mortgages approved by American banks, with decreased security standards. If this were a country with little effect on the international system, such as Madagascar, minimal damage would be inflicted on the world economy. Canada, with one of the strongest bank systems in the world today, felt a great deal of impact when the economy of the USA plummeted, resulting in the need for multiple stimulus packages from both countries to try to add life to the floundering market. A comparison to events in Canadian history, where our neighbours to the south had caused Canada economic troubles, would be the entire cause of the Canadian Confederation. Part of the reason that Britain wanted to push Canada away was because Britain was in financial trouble, brought on by the American Revolution. Costs of the Seven Years War was already taking a toll on the British economy, doubling its national debt, and even more money was spent on soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War. When Britain repealed the Corn Laws as a way to introduce free trade, it put Canada into a recession, due to the fact that exporting grains was the main industry at the time. In both situations, America, while concentrated on domestic affairs, indirectly caused financial hardship to Canada, with a difference being that the recent economic problems also affected the rest of the world, in addition to Canada.

                Lower Canada, Canada East, and Quebec are all names of the home of one racial group of people that have felt inferior to the rest of the nation because of their culture. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, British families are attracted to advertisements claiming cheap, affordable farmland in Canada, and an opportunity to leave a harsh lifestyle behind. Fly forward 70 years since the rush of immigrants after the War of 1812 and you’ll find yourself in a historical time period which combines the racism and prejudice of Lower Canada with the broken promises of British immigrants. In the late 19th century, China was the home of harsh living conditions. Many Chinese people found themselves in a crowded environment all the time, and taxes were also relatively high, as it was a struggle to keep your head above water. Stories made their way to China, that waiting on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, promising of riches and fortunes were easier to come by than striking it rich back at home. It was a no-brainer, Chinese immigrants boarded ships bound for Canada, giddy with nervousness. However, when reaching Canada, they are immediately put to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway. They are put into conditions comparable to concentration camps, only difference being that they are paid. Their sleeping quarters are small and cramped, they are looked to as inferior by the Europeans inhabiting Canada, and they work hard, sometimes even to death, to get their small amount of salary. This doesn’t seem like the “promised riches” that the Chinese immigrated for, does it? Could it just be a repeat of the events that took place when the British immigrated here, to find land dense with forests in the place of where their farmland should be?

                The American Civil War was the deadliest war in American history, mounting up as many, if not more casualties(+600 thousand) as all of the wars the U.S. have fought in to this day. All but 15 of the 34 American states had abolished slavery, deeming it illegal within its state borders. 11 of these 15 states were named the Confederate states, and they fought to keep slavery. Everybody else was part of the Union, nicknamed Yankees, and were fighting to have an entirely free country. War was unavoidable; it was near impossible for a pro-slavery South to coexist with an anti-slavery North. Tension had already been brewing between the federal government and the southern American states because of the growing concern over the future of slavery in the country. History of capturing and using African people for work in America dated back to the 1500s, back when tobacco and crops made up the country’s economy. In the early 1800s, the northern Union states began to pull away from slavery, because their industry laid in the hands of manufacturing. The reason for this shift was the warmer climate in the South was better for growing raw materials, such as tobacco and cotton. This meant that slaves were no longer needed in Union states, but were still heavily relied upon in the South. War broke out between the two sides in 1861, and both sides looked evenly matched, until the Battle of Gettysburg, in 1863. Confederate forces had lost this battle, and the toll on their military was too great to recover from. In 1865, Confederate General Lee surrendered, marking the end to the deadliest war in American history. How does any of this relate to the American road to countryhood? Let’s state an analogy here: the Confederate is to the Thirteen Colonies as the Union is to Britain. How? The federal government sided with the Union, making it the supreme political power. The Union also outnumbered the Confederates by almost double. The Union is like Britain in this situation because they were trying to suppress a group of supporters for a cause that was hostile to them (slavery tainted the image of a “republic dedicated to liberty and freedom”). Basically, it was the fight of a supposed follower (all states should fall under, or be affected by federal government) against the supreme, “parent” power, much like the American Revolution.

                Now, my opinion on whether or not a country’s future is outlined in its road to countryhood isn’t as crystal clear as it might be thought to be. Yes, I do agree that a country’s road to countryhood has an effect on its behaviour today, however, only to a certain extent. History does have a tendency to repeat itself, but it shows in different forms. I think that events in history that show resemblance to Confederation or Independence aren’t completely based on fate, but rather a potpourri of luck, chance, and the values and virtues of the country. If history was mapped out during the Declaration of Independence, Canada and America wouldn’t be allies in the war against Iraq and terrorism, nor would NATO exist. And with a final word count of…well, carry the two, add four…ahem, with a final word count of 4,223, I bid farewell to the courageous reader, and thank them for their attention to my examination of beavers and bald eagles.

Yes – our home and native land is turning 142 years old this year. How will you be celebrating?

My family and I will be braving the onslaught of the first national airborne league of mosquitoes (Canada’s military budget is a little tight) to watch the fireworks display. We live just half a block from a river that glides lazily through our small city, and the fireworks are set off from the bridge. The effect of fireworks in the sky reflecting off the calm waters is spectacular!

Image by Loimere via Flickr

I’ve got steaks marinating for the BBQ, and I think I can rustle up some potato salad for a great Canadian summer feast to share with the in-laws who are expected to arrive sometime soon.

Image via Wikipedia

To all of my confused American friends, yes, our national holiday is July 1, not July 4. Do we have a July 4 here in Canada? Of course we do. We just don’t celebrate anything on July 4. (Unless it is someone’s birthday or anniversary or something on July 4, then you should go ahead and celebrate no matter what country you live in!)

So Happy Canada Day, and I hope those of you in other countries have a great national celebration on your day. How about writing a Triond article about your national holiday? It would be great to hear what customs and traditions you have.

It’s that time of year again late June when people start getting excited about Canada Day July 1st and US Independence Day July 4Th. Which means not only lots of Food, Fun, Friend, but also Fireworks. With Safall this comes’s excitement which turns to DISASTER and when people say oh let’s just get “safe and sane” fireworks for the kids to light off. Which is the biggest mistake over 1,00 kids were injured by so called safe and sane fireworks last independence days. But then the one biggest factor is the littlest known to the public the main cause of these injuries is_______? SPARKLERS! Those little “kid friendly” Fireworks cause 70% of last years injuries. Then it’s a fact a little sparkler produces 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit of heat. Why not just stick you kids arm onto the grill if your giving him/her a sparkler. Yes it is true that not every kid who touches a sparkler is going to get a bad burn. So please if you give them whats supposed to be a safe firework watch them closely and have a wonderful Independence week.