Canada Day
Canada Day is a bit of a strange holiday, at least to this particular Canadian. July 1st, 1867 is significant not for war, nor for declaration of liberty. It is the day a bunch of lawyers and politicians decided a new united dominion should officially commence, consisting of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Upper and Lower Canada (henceforth Ontario and Quebec, respectively). In fact, Canada had already begun its existence decades earlier with the union of Ontario and Quebec, and the allowance by the British of ‘responsible government’ — namely, the right for all citizens (in as much as women were not yet ‘citizens’) to vote. July 1st was an administrative marker, a national punchclock of sorts.
And yet, 134 years, 6 more provinces and 3 territories later, the clock is still punched in. In a time when the Balkans continue to live up to the political term the region inspired, there is something notable about this feat.
So, happy birthday, Canada. Bonne fête du Canada.
In celebration, we offer a link to the National Archives, which, with that bureaucratic zeal that the federal government seems to have for the Web, offer an impressive array of online trinkets that go some way in explaining this vast and varied land.
Previously: Remember This Movie?
Subsequently: Remembering Memento II
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