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Is there anything better than a barbecue with family and friends, the sun shining and kids laughing, culminating is a spectacular display of fireworks? Canada Day, the celebration of our country's birth, is something that we all look forward to, not only for the day off from work, but for the time we get with our families. For some, July 1st is the unofficial kickoff to their summers! Here are some fun facts about Canada Day that may or may not surprise you. However you chose to celebrate, enjoy it and please be safe.
1) In Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Day is also Memorial Day. During the Battle of the Somme during WWI, the Newfoundland Regiment suffered massive casualties. This loss is recognized on the morning of July 1st where Canadian flags are flown at half mast and other memorial ceremonies ensue. The afternoon is reserved for celebrating Canada Day much like the rest of the country.
2) In Ottawa Canada Day is celebrated in style. Tens of thousands of people gather at Parliament Hill to celebrate with the Prime Minister, the Governor General, and other Ministers. Expect to see CF-18 Snowbirds, various celebrities, and a fireworks show that will leave you breathless.
3) So what do Canadians have to be proud of? Well, we invented Smarties...and Coffee Crisp. The first baseball game was played in Igersoll, Ontario on June 4th, 1838. Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. Naismith, a Canadian. Apple pie is Canadian. We have Tim Hortons, not Dunkin Donuts. Our one civil war was fought in a bar and lasted about an hour. The Hudson's Bay Company is the world's oldest company. A Canadian invented Superman. We invented Velcro, zippers, insulin, penicillin, the telephone, and zambonies. And of course, Canadians have hockey!
4) Cross-border cousins Detroit and Windsor have celebrated Canada Day and Independence Day with the International Freedom Festival since 1950. A huge fireworks display explodes over the Detroit river, the body of water that separates the two cities by less than one mile.
5) It's Moving Day in Quebec. A law in Quebec prevents landlords from evicting tenants during the cold winter months. As such, a majority of leases in Quebec begin on or around July 1st. In 2004, 120,000 residents in Quebec moved on or around July 1st.
6) Colour television was first introduced to Canada on Canada Day in 1967 and 'O Canada' became the official national anthem of Canada on Canada Day in 1980. Sadly, 10 villages in Ontario were washed away by a flood on Canada Day in 1958 by the St. Lawrence Seaway. These villages are now known as 'the lost villages'.
7) Santa Claus lives in Canada. How cool is that?
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