What Is Canada Day? (For the Dumb American)

I am a dumb American who happens to live near Canada, making me more than equipped to take on this topic. (Plus I drink Tim Hortons coffee almost daily.) Around the same time that we Americans celebrate independence, our northern neighbors celebrate Canada Day. What is Canada Day? Here goes.

 

Setting the Stage

In the first part of 1800s, what would become known as Canada existed as an assortment of British colonies. Populating these colonies was an eclectic collection of humans, including the British (some descended from those who had remained loyal to the British throne during the American Revolution), the French (who thanks to France’s defeat in the Seven Years’ War were stuck under British rule), and indigenous communities.

As the 1860s rolled around, the American Civil War came and went, leaving these British colonies with a sense of vulnerability. The fear was that Americans—now that they had stopped killing each other—would return to their mission of expansion. Throw in a desire to optimize economic potential, and the stage was set for what was to come.

 

Dominion

On July 1, 1867, three colonies—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the United Canadas (consisting of Québec and Ontario)—joined forces as a semi-autonomous dominion within the British Empire.

The act of (British) Parliament that made this happen was called the British North America Act, 1867, and the name Canada was applied to the dominion as a whole.

Over the ensuing decades, other colonies were added to the mix, with the last holdout being Newfoundland (later known as Newfoundland and Labrador), which joined in 1949.

The end result was a map that resembles the one we’re familiar with today.

 

Taking It Slow

While some might reasonably refer to July 1 as Canada’s birthday, the Canada we know and love actually took quite some time to develop.

It wasn’t until 1931 that the Statute of Westminster increased the sovereignty of those with dominion status within the British Empire, meaning that Britain could no longer create new laws within such territories unless specifically asked to do so.

By 1947, Canada began issuing its own passports, and the now-ubiquitous red maple leaf flag became a thing in 1965.

In 1980, “O Canada” was formally declared as the national anthem, and finally, in 1982, the Constitution Act brought full independence, allowing Canadians to amend their constitution without an act of British Parliament. In the same year, what had officially been Dominion Day (July 1) became Canada Day.

Of course, Canada technically remains a constitutional monarchy (under the watch of King Charles III), but an independent parliamentary democracy runs the show.

 

Modern Celebrations/Concerns

In terms of celebrating Canada Day, there is no one-size-fits-all scenario. That said, parades, picnics, fireworks, patriotic gear, and an abundance of flags are par for the course.

But, as is the case for essentially anything, buy-in is less than one hundred percent.

In Québec, Canada’s only province that is officially monolingual in a language other than English (and obviously has an overrepresentation of French heritage), some attach more significance to Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (Fête nationale du Québec), held every June 24. Canada Day (Fête du Canada) can also be a bit awkward given that the province twice held referenda (in 1980 and 1995) to secede from the country.

And, speaking of awkward, the relationship between indigenous groups and the much younger entity of Canada can reach a complexity that is well beyond what a mere Tim Hortons drinker can understand.

 

So to my friendly neighbors up north (and actually to the west since I live so far north!), Happy Canada Day—if you want it to be happy and you want it to be Canada.

(This article was updated on June 29, 2023.)