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If you are like most Americans that don’t live near the Canadian border, you see this holiday come up each and every year and you wonder “what’s that all about?”
It comes on the first Monday in August, and this time that’s August 4th. Some retail stores are open, but most official government, banking and stock related entities are closed.
Here is a quick study on it. Wikipedia says this:
Civic Holiday is the most widely used name for a public holiday celebrated in most of Canada on the first Monday in August,[1] though it is only officially known by that term by the governments of Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba. It is a statutory holiday in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Prince Edward Island, but not in Manitoba. The holiday is known by a variety of names in different provinces and municipalities, including British Columbia Day in British Columbia, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan. The holiday is celebrated as Natal Day[2] in Nova Scotia, but is not an official holiday.
What do people in Canada do on this holiday?
This answer comes from the authoritative site, TimeAndDate.com (hey – there are very few sites that explain it, so we found this):
On the first Monday in August and, in some places, throughout the first week of August, various events are held to celebrate aspects of local culture, history and achievement. Many celebrations are low-key and are organized by community members. These include: making and distributing birthday cakes for the province; sports events; and communal meals, such as breakfasts, barbecues, lunches and suppers. Larger events include professional displays of fireworks, road races and cultural festivals.
The Reason Behind “Civic Day” – John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (then known as Upper Canada)
What is the “Real Meaning of Civic Day”? What’s the backs story?
We found this at CityNews.ca:
And although that alone could be enough of a reason to celebrate, the true meaning behind the holiday is to honour John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (then known as Upper Canada). He was also the founder of the Historic Fort York, the birthplace of modern Toronto.
Links to citations mentioned: