Happy Canada Day!

Today, Canada celebrates its 144th birthday! Canada Day, celebrated every July 1st, is a national holiday that marks the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North America Act. This act brought three separate British colonies (Nova Soctia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada) together to form one country: Canada.

Most communities and cities across the country are organizing special celebrations today. These celebrations include outdoor public events, such as parades, festivals, barbecues, fireworks, and free concerts. Citizenship ceremonies are also conducted on Canada Day.

Today, forty-nine new Canadians are being welcomed at a special Canada Day citizenship ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

“On the birthday of our dominion, we are reminded of the value of our citizenship. We celebrate our many freedoms and rights, as well as our history, symbols, events, people, institutions and values that define us as Canadians and give us our identity,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “Everyone celebrating today at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is getting a chance to see the profound impact that immigration has had upon Canada’s past and will have on our future.”