Canada’s national holiday is like a giant birthday party, celebrated all over the country on July 1. Until recently these celebrations were known as Dominion Day. The first Dominion Day was on July 1, 1867, and was the result of a vote by the British House of Commons giving the Canadian provinces permission to unite and form a confederation.

On Canada Day we celebrate our unity as one country. The celebrations are as diverse as our people. Many ethnic groups are involved in activities as parades, sports, entertainment in song and music, dances, festivals, ceremonies, food, and fireworks. In Flin Flon, northern Manitoba, they have an annual trout fishing derby. In 1981 the Japanese community in Winnipeg made 1000 paper birds and launched them in the sky as part of an Air Spectacle.

What will you do as part of the celebrations this year?

Each year the University of Waterloo organizes a special celebration at the Columbia Lake field. The public is invited to join in the fun at the 20th annual Canada Day celebrations on Thursday (July 1) at the University of Waterloo.

Canada Day events begin at 2 p.m. and continue throughout the day, wrapping up the day's events at 10 p.m. with the grand finale of fireworks. The annual event, sponsored by UW and the Federation of Students, is expected to attract up to 60,000 people to celebrate Canada's 137th birthday at the Columbia Lake fields on UW's north campus (off Columbia Street West).

The U of Waterloo Canada Day Celebrations will feature live musical entertainment throughout the day and evening as well as a fireworks display to bring the day's events to a spectacular close.