HAPPY 144th BIRTHDAY
Official Lyrics of O 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.
How Canada Got Its Name
The Origin of the Name Canada
Imaginary Portrait of Jacques Cartier
The origin of the name "Canada" comes from the expedition of explorer Jacques Cartier up the St. Lawrence River in 1535. The Iroquois pointing out the route to the village of Stadacona, the future site of Quebec City, used the word "kanata," the Huron-Iroquois word for village. Jacques Cartier used the word Canada to refer to both the settlement of Stadacona and the land surrounding it subject to Chief Donnacona.By 1547, maps were showing the name Canada applied to everything north of the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence River was called the "rivière du Canada" by Cartier, and the name stuck until the 1600s.
In the 1600s, the name Canada was often used loosely to refer to New France, and as land opened up to the west and south in the 1700s, the name Canada was applied to what is now the American midwest and as far south as present day Louisiana. But it was not official.
In 1791, the Constitutional Act or Canada Act divided the Province of Quebec into two - the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In 1841, the two colonies were united again, this time as the Province of Canada.
At Confederation in 1867, the British North America Act officially joined the Province of Canada (Quebec and Ontario) with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to become "one Dominion under the name of Canada."
Canada wasn't the only name considered for the new dominion though. Other names suggested at the time of Confederation were:
- Victorialand
- Borealia
- Cabotia
- Tuponia (The United Provinces of North America)
- Superior
- Norland
- Hochelaga
Fathers of Confederation - Canada
Men Who Negotiated Canadian Confederation
Fathers of Confederation
Canadian Fathers of Conferation are usually considered to be the 36 men representing the British colonies in North Ameria who attended at least one of the three major conferences on Canadian confederation - the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, the Quebec Conference in 1864 and the London Conference in 1866-67.
The British colonies represented were:
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
- Prince Edward Island
- Newfoundland
- Province of Canada (later Ontario and Quebec)
Fathers of Confederation
- Adams Archibald (Nova Scotia)
- George Brown (Canada)
- Alexander Campbell (Canada)
- F B T Carter (Newfoundland)
- George-Etienne Cartier (Canada)
- Edward Barron Chandler (New Brunswick)
- J C Chapais (Canada)
- James Cockburn (Canada)
- George Coles (PEI)
- Robert Dickey (Nova Scotia)
- Charles Fisher (New Brunswick)
- Alexander Galt (Canada)
- John Hamilton Gray (New Brunswick)
- John Hamilton Gray (PEI)
- T H Haviland (PEI)
- William Henry (Nova Scotia)
- W P Howland (Canada)
Entry Into Canadian Confederation
Dates Provinces and Territories Entered Canadian Confederation
Province / Territory | Date Entered Confederation |
September 1, 1905 | |
July 20, 1871 | |
July 15, 1870 | |
July 1, 1867 | |
March 31, 1949 | |
July 15, 1870 | |
July 1, 1867 | |
April 1, 1999 | |
July 1, 1867 | |
July 1, 1873 | |
July 1, 1867 | |
September 1, 1905 | |
June 13, 1898 |
Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald
1867-73, 1878-91
Sir John A. Macdonald, Prime Minister of Canada
Birth: January 10, 1815 in Glasgow, Scotland. Came to Canada in 1820.
Death:June 6, 1891 in Ottawa, Ontario
Sir John A. Macdonald was a Father of Confederation and drafted two-thirds of the provisions of the British North America Act. Sir John A. Macdonald was the first Prime Minister of Canada,
http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/primeminister/p/pmmacdonald.htm for a complete biography.
The National Flag of Canada
Canadian Flag Flying on Parliament Hill
History, Symbolism & Rules for Flying the National Flag
The Canadian red and white maple leaf flag is officially called The National Flag of Canada. The Canadian flag shows a stylized red maple leaf with 11 points on a white background, with red borders down each side. The Canadian flag is twice as long as it is wide. The white square containing the red maple leaf is the same width as the flag.The red and white used in the National Flag of Canada were proclaimed the official colours of Canada in 1921 by King George V. Although the maple leaf did not have official status as an emblem of Canada until the proclamation of the national flag in 1965, it had historically been used as a Canadian symbol, and was used in 1860 in decorations for the visit of the Prince of Wales to Canada. The 11 points on the maple leaf have no special significance.
A Flag for Canada
It wasn't until the 1965 inauguration of the maple leaf flag that Canada had its own national flag. In the early days of Canadian Confederation the Royal Union flag, or Union Jack, was still flown in British North America. The Red Ensign, with a Union Jack in the upper left corner and a shield containing the coats of arms of the Canadian provinces, was used as the unofficial flag of Canada from about 1870 to 1924. The composite shield was then replaced with the Royal Arms of Canada and approved for use overseas. In 1945 it was authorized for general use.In 1925 and again in 1946, Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King tried to get a national flag of Canada adopted, and failed. In 1964, Prime Minister Lester Pearson appointed a 15-member, all-party committee to come up with the design of a new flag for Canada. The committee was given six weeks to complete its task.
The suggestion for a red and white single maple leaf design for the Canadian flag came from George Stanley, a professor at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario.
In his speech at the national flag inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Lester Pearson said:
"Under this Flag may our youth find new inspiration for loyalty to Canada; for a patriotism based not on any mean or narrow nationalism, but on the deep and equal pride that all Canadians will feel for every part of this good land."
Dignity of the Canadian Flag
Flag Etiquette in Canada on the Canadian Heritage Department site provides the rules for flying and displaying the Canadian flag in different situations - affixed to a car or carried in a procession, for example.Fundamental to these rules is the principle that The National Flag of Canada should always be treated with dignity and that it takes precedence over all other national flags and ensigns when flown in Canada.
The History of the National Anthem
(Summary)
"O Canada" was proclaimed Canada's national anthem on July 1, 1980, 100 years after it was first sung on June 24, 1880. The music was composed by Calixa Lavallée, a well-known composer; French lyrics to accompany the music were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The song gained steadily in popularity. Many English versions have appeared over the years. The version on which the official English lyrics are based was written in 1908 by Mr. Justice Robert Stanley Weir. The official English version includes changes recommended in 1968 by a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons. The French lyrics remain unaltered.
Ô Canada!
« O Canada! Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.Protégera nos foyers et nos droits. »
www.pch.gc.ca for a full story of "O Canada"
Etiquette during the playing of the national anthem
As a matter of respect and tradition, it is proper to stand for the playing of "O Canada" as well as for the anthem of any other nation.It is traditional for civilian men to take off their hats during the playing of the national anthem. Women as well as children do not remove their hats on such occasions.
There is no law or behaviour governing the playing of the national anthem; it is left to the good citizenship of individuals.
HAPPY 144th BIRTHDAY
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