Happy Dominion day!!

[2dimes]

[dwightschrute]

ok

[2dimes]

I'm going to ride the steam train for free.

This evening My brother in law is having a barbeque.

What's everyone else doing? Is there fire works in your area?

[dwightschrute]

o it is a canadian thing.

[2dimes]

Every July first.

[dwightschrute]

Every July first.

what does it celebrate?

[2dimes]

Canada becoming a dominion.

[dwightschrute]

Canada becoming a dominion.

makes sense. so it is your july 4th.

[2dimes]

Well yes and no. As a dominion we would be a commonwealth nation under Britain.

So not really independant but basically our own domain.

[dwightschrute]

Well yes and no. As a dominion we would be a commonwealth nation under Britain.

So not really independant but basically our own domain.

yeah, but you do the same things we do to celebrate it sounds like.

[2dimes]

Barbeques, concerts and fire works in most urban areas.

[dwightschrute]

Barbeques, concerts and fire works in most urban areas.

fireworks, barbeques yep.

[2dimes]

Dominion Day marks the creation of the Dominion of Canada through the British North America Act on July 1, 1867, uniting three British colonies—the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Canada. The three colonies united to form one country divided into four provinces. The Province of Canada became Ontario and Quebec (see Canadian Confederation).


The holiday was formally established by statute in 1879, and was originally called Dominion Day, making reference to the term "dominion," which was first used to describe a political union within the British Empire for Canada, at a time when the British government was hesitant to adopt the name proposed by the Fathers of Confederation: Kingdom of Canada.

Dominion Day was not a particularly prominent holiday in its early inceptions; in the late 19th and early 20th many Canadians continued to think of themselves as primarily British, and were thus less interested in celebrating a distinctly "Canadian" form of patriotism. No official celebrations were held on July 1 from confederation until 1917, the golden anniversary of Confederation, and then none again until ten years later. This trend declined in the post-war era. Beginning in 1958, the Canadian government orchestrated Dominion Day celebrations, usually consisting of Trooping the Colours ceremonies on Parliament Hill in the afternoon and evening, followed by a mass band concert and fireworks display. Canada's centennial of July 1, 1967 is often seen as an important day in the history of Canadian patriotism, and Canada's maturity as a distinct, independent country. Post-1967, Dominion Day became far more popular with average Canadians. Into the late 1960s, nationally televised, multi-cultural concerts were added, and the fete became known as "Festival Canada." After 1980, the Canadian government began to promote the celebrating of Dominion Day beyond the national capital, giving grants and aid to cities across the country to help fund local activities.

I notice they didn't mention Newfoundland, even though it was it's own country up until more recently.

[dwightschrute]

ok

[i love risk]

Barbeques, concerts and fire works in most urban areas.

[2dimes]

Dominion Day
Origin and special observance

Proclamation requiring celebration of July 1st:
on June 20, 1868 a proclamation issued by the Governor General, Lord Monck, enjoined and called upon all Her Majesty's loving subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the Anniversary of the formation of the Dominion of Canada on the 1st of July, 1868. This proclamation, a copy of which is attached, was published in the Canada Gazette on Saturday, June 20, 1868.


Act respecting Dominion Day, 1879:
on May 15, 1879, Royal Assent was given to "An Act to make the first day of July a Public Holiday by the name of Dominion Day" (House of Commons Debates, 1879, Vol.II, p. 2047).
Attached is a copy of the Act of 1879 as printed in the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1886, ChapterIII.

Also attached is a brief extract from newspaper reports indicating that citizens left Ottawa, Toronto and Quebec City on July 1, 1879 and there were no public ceremonies.

Proclamation respecting the celebration of the 50th Anniversary:
on June 16, 1917, the Governor General, the Duke of Devonshire, issued a proclamation appointing Monday the 2nd Day of July 1917 for the special celebration of the 50thAnniversary of Confederation. A copy of this proclamation is attached.
Attached is a memorandum of reports in the Press of events on Parliament Hill and at Westminster Abbey on Monday, July 2, 1917.

Diamond Jubilee of Confederation Act, 1927-Incorporation of the National Committee:
On February 18, 1927, Royal Assent was given to an act to incorporate a National Committee for the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation - 17 George V, Chap. 6. This Act is entitled the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation Act, 1927.
The Committee, called the Corporation comprised about seventy persons including the Governor General and his wife, the lieutenant governors of the provinces, the Prime Minister of Canada and seven members of the Cabinet (but not the Secretary of State), the Chief Justice, several privy councillors including the former prime minister, the speakers of both Houses, the Leader of the Opposition, the premiers of all the provinces, several senators and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, the Clerk of the Privy Council, the Under Secretary of State, the Dominion Archivist, the Under Secretary of State for External Affairs and the heads of a number of organizations such as the National Council of Women, the Trades and Labour Congress, the United Farmers of Alberta, I.O.D.E., Bar Association, the National Battlefields Commission, the Canadian Legion, etc.

The objects of the Corporation were to make and carry out necessary arrangements in cooperation with the provinces and other bodies for an effective celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the formation of the Dominion of Canada, and to administer and distribute a grant of $250,000. The affairs of the corporation were administered by an executive committee; the Secretary of State of Canada convened the first meeting of this committee.

1927 Celebration across Canada:
The National Committee issued a booklet entitled "Order of Proceedings" for national thanksgiving by the people of Canada for Sunday, July 3, as a suggestion for local committees across Canada for a public religious ceremony at 2:30 p.m. in each local time zone under the direction of the lieutenant-governor or mayor or other senior person in the community. The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King, who was a Presbyterian, had edited this booklet; it was found to be not acceptable for Roman Catholic usage.
The Committee issued a forty-eight page pamphlet, illustrated in colour, containing suggestions for historical pageants, floats and tableaux for the guidance bibliography of Canadian history.

1927 Ottawa Confederation:
the National Committee organized the program of national celebration at Ottawa which began at 11:00 a.m. on Friday July 1, 1927 with the laying of the cornerstone by the Governor General of the Confederation Building at the corner of Bank and Wellington Streets, and continued with the inauguration of the Carillon in the Peace Tower, the planting of the Confederation maple trees on Parliament Hill and, in the afternoon, addresses by the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and descendants of fathers of Confederation interspersed with public singing lead by a centenary choir and schoolchildren. There was a very large dinner given by the National Committee in the Parliament buildings in the evening of July 1 preceded by a historical pageant parade.
Extracts from The Canada Gazette and the Citizen on Dominion Day...

[The1exile]

So not really independant but basically our own domain.

Bet someone comes along and comments on how useless Canada must be to not even getting declaring themselves independent right.

[2dimes]

Have at 'er.

We did eventually become independant, I don't see the benifit personally. I think the country was fine as a commonwealth nation under Britain, in some ways better.

Canada was, after all, the first country in the world to gain its independence peacefully from another, which is no small thing, but we were not taught that in school.

[Jehan]

^ yeah you tell em, go the commonwealth.