S aturday, July 1, 2017 marks 150 years since Canada became a confederation on Monday, July 1, 1867 when the British North America Act united what were then the British provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario into the Dominion of Canada; and I simply wanted to wish the neighbor north of the United States a very happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Number 150, Canada!
Some of the celebrations — as documented from the Twitter site dedicated to the special day — around Canada include:
In #StJohns you can admire Canada Day’s first sunrise during the sunrise ceremony at 6 am on Signal Hill! #Canada150 pic.twitter.com/wUKGuZonJE
— Canada 150 (@canada150th) July 1, 2017
A breakfast buffet kicked off #CanadaDay in #Saskatoon. Now it’s time for day-long celebrations at Diefenbaker Park! https://t.co/g6FrZqrPH5 pic.twitter.com/lQmFl4cEYH
— Canada 150 (@canada150th) July 1, 2017
Also reported by the press in Canada, celebrations include:
- A boat cruise off Cape Spear in Newfoundland at dawn whose 75 passengers would be amongst the first to celebrate the special day
- Dignitaries and crowds gathered at Parliament Hill in Ottawa to kickstart the “country’s biggest party”
- Four times the fireworks will be on display in Calgary, where the show will last 30 minutes
- Montréal celebrates 375 years this year — but some of the festivities have been postponed due to torrential rains
- Use ferries and shuttle buses all day free of charge in Halifax to partake in parades and concerts
- The Saint Boniface Museum and Fort Gibraltar in Winnipeg will have free admission and a number of demonstrations and activities
- Burnaby celebrates 125 years this year as Vancouver holds what is being called the “biggest celebration” outside of Ottawa
Not Everyone is Celebrating Canada Day
“Preparations are underway to move an Indigenous demonstration tepee right onto Parliament Hill after a man was arrested for assaulting at least one of the activists Thursday”, according to this article written by Mia Rabson of The Globe and Mail. “The Bawaating Water Protectors from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., arrived Wednesday night on Parliament Hill with plans to erect a tepee and engage in four days of ceremonies they’re calling a ‘reoccupation’ to draw attention to the history of Indigenous people in Canada during 150th birthday celebrations this weekend.”
Summary
Years ago, my visits to Canada included being in Markham, which is part of the greater Toronto metropolitan area; Halifax, which included Peggy’s Cove; Québec, to which I have been twice; and Montréal, which included a visit to Schwartz’s Deli for a delicious legendary smoked meat sandwich. I may post articles of those trips with photographs in the future; but I hope to one day visit the other provinces and territories of Canada to which I have not been as of yet.
Do not forget that you will not be required to pay an entrance fee this year when visiting national parks, national marine conservation areas, and national historic sites in Canada. The 2017 Discovery Pass will provide free admission for the entire year for unlimited opportunities to visit the places of Parks Canada from coast to coast to coast from Sunday, January 1, 2017 to Sunday, December 31, 2017.
I visited Banff National Park, Jasper National Park and Yoho National Park earlier this year — and I felt like I received the gift for the birthday of Canada. I have not finished the articles which documented my trip, which include visits to Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Bow Lake and Bow Glacier, Mistaya Canyon, Goats and Glaciers, Athabasca Glacier and the Columbia Icefield, Sunwapta Falls, Valley of the Five Lakes, Maligne Canyon, Maligne Lake and Medicine Lake — plus more lodging reviews and a review of the car which I rented for only $56.72 for an entire week, saving me hundreds of dollars.
Here is a list of the articles I have already written up to this point — as well as articles when I visited the Vancouver area yet again a few years ago; and articles with offers which are still valid.
- Free Entry Into National Parks in Canada All Year Long
- Meet Some of My New Animal Friends From the Canadian Rocky Mountains
- Can You Find the Red Chairs in This Photograph?
- Spectacular Views of Peyto Glacier and Peyto Lake
- Lake Louise From a Slightly Different Perspective
- Tangle Creek Falls is So Easy to Visit
- A Stop at Morant’s Curve in Banff National Park
- Johnston Canyon: An Introduction
- The Lower Falls of Johnston Canyon
- The Upper Falls of Johnston Canyon
- A Quiet Moment at Silverton Falls in Banff National Park
- Gap Lake — A Good Starting Point
- Unimpressed With My First Stay at Delta Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 1,000 IHG Rewards Club Points Per Stay at Select Hotel Properties in Western Canada
- Earn 1,500 Bonus Hilton Honors Points in Canada Plus Bonus Airline Miles
- WestJet Rebrands as Canada Air For 150th Birthday of Canada
- Overlooking the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver
- Consider Lynn Canyon Instead of Capilano Park When in North Vancouver
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
