Evan Kwiecien

11/15/17
Mr. Ledgerwood
Research and Development

Canada Day

Canadian Independence day or Canada Day is a holiday celebrated on July first in

Canada. This holiday celebrates the 1867 formation of the Dominion of Canada, when the British

colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Canada united and became a “kingdom in its own

right.” The 1982 Constitution Act made Canada an independent nation. Since 1868, Canadians

worldwide have celebrated their country on the first day of July. Firework displays, parades and

fairs are some of the many ways that Canadians celebrate their pride for their country. This

holiday is celebrated similarly to the fourth of july in the United States.

The 150th anniversary of Canadian independence took place on July 1st 2017. Although

many Canadians celebrated this holiday fondly it was not as cheerful for many native people.

The Inuit and Métis people lived in what is now Canada far before any of the first Canadians

settled in the region. These native peoples took offense to the 150th Canada day celebrations

because it was viewed by them as a celebration of colonialism. The people native to Canada have

been there for thousands of years, so the anniversary of the country’s independence has less

meaning. Colonization of north america brought with it the destruction of native lands and

culture. Poor treatment of native peoples historically in Canada is the driving force that leads

many of them to dislike this particular Canada Day celebration. Native populations have been

forced to integrate with the standard population and give up many of their unique cultural

identities in the past.

 Works cited

Heritage, C. (2017, October 16). History of Canada Day. Retrieved November 19, 2017, from

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/canada-day-history.html

Hollingsworth, J. (2017, June 30). Canada Day vs. Fourth of July: How do these national

holidays compare? Retrieved November 19, 2017, from

https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/events/canada-day-vs-fourth-of-july-how-do

-these-national-holidays-compare/

Morton, W. L., Hall, R. D., Bercuson, D. J., Krueger, R. R., & Nicholson, N. L. (2017, October

18). Canada. Retrieved November 19, 2017, from

https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada

Why is Canada's 150th birthday controversial? (2017, June 29). Retrieved November 19, 2017,

from

https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/06/economist-explains-24