MacBros' Place

Happy Canada Day Canada! And to all the men and women overseas protecting us so that we all can live our lives in peace here in this great country, thank you and have a great Canada Day too.

I just hope the weather breaks so it can be enjoyed. There’s a lot of thing that are supposed to take place, and the fireworks display is supposed to be one of the best yet.

Frequently referred to as “Canada’s birthday,” particularly in the popular press, the occasion marks the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867. However, though it is regarded that Canada became a kingdom in its own right on that date, the British Parliament at first kept limited rights of political control over the new country, which were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were ended in 1982, when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution. Canada Day, thus, differs from Independence Day celebrations in other countries, in that it does not commemorate a clear-cut date of complete independence.

The name Canada most likely comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word kanata, meaning “village” or “settlement”. In 1535, inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct explorer Jacques Cartier toward the village of Stadacona. Cartier used the word ‘Canada’ to refer to not only that village, but the entire area subject to Donnacona, Chief at Stadacona. By 1545, European books and maps began referring to this region as Canada.

The French colony of Canada referred to the part of New France along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes. Later, it was split into two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was adopted for the entire country, and Dominion was conferred as the country’s title. It was frequently referred to as the Dominion of Canada until the 1950s. As Canada asserted its political autonomy from Britain, the federal government increasingly used Canada on legal state documents and treaties. The Canada Act 1982 refers only to “Canada” and, as such, it is currently the only legal (and bilingual) name. This was reflected in 1982 with the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day.

You can learn more about this great country here and about Canada Day here.

Remember to have beer and drink fun. Plus we need to make good Mojo for perfect weather.