On July 1, 1867, the nation was officially born when the Constitution Act joined three provinces into one country: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canada province, which then split into Ontario and Quebec.

However, Canada was not completely independent of England until 1982. The holiday, called Dominion Day, was officially established in 1879, but it wasn’t observed by many Canadians, who considered themselves to be British citizens. Dominion Day started to catch on when the 50th anniversary of the confederation rolled around in 1917. In 1946, a bill was put forth to rename Dominion Day, but arguments in the House of Commons over what to call the holiday stalled the bill.

The 100th anniversary in 1967 saw the growth of the spirit of Canadian patriotism. Dominion Day celebrations really began to take off. Quite a few Canadians already called the holiday ‘Canada Day’ (Fête du Canada). The new name wasn’t formally adopted until October of 1982.

OUR FLAG

The Canadian territory flew the British flag until it was agreed it needed its own flag. In time, the British flag was minimized to the upper left corner and a crest was added on the right side.
However, it was felt another flag was needed to better reflect the country’s self-governance. The search became more focused in the 1960s as the country approached its 100th birthday. The maple tree is common in various parts of Canada, and the leaf made for a good symbol because of its bright color and symmetry.

OH CANADA

O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land, glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee;
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.