A founding date under British influence
Canada was officially born on July 1, 1867, by the effect of a voted law in London. The British North America act adopted by the British Parliament at the request of the colonial elites, then unites Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in a federation called “Dominion of Canada”. “It is a political construction born of a compromise between divergent interests, in a context of interior instability and fear of an American annexation”recall historians.
Un Dominion is a colony of the British Empire which has obtained political autonomy, while remaining linked to the crown for foreign policy and constitutional changes. Canada received this status in 1867.
Canada is not yet fully sovereign: its international relations remain under the supervision of the British crown, and any modification of its constitution requires London’s approval until 1982. The festival of July 1 therefore commemorates a relative autonomy first, pending real constitutional independence.
A multifaceted celebration, mirror of a plural country
Each July 1st, Canada’s Day is available in parades, concerts, official ceremonies and fireworks, with its epicenter on the hill of Parliament in Ottawa. The event is also marked by the enslavement of new citizens, symbolizing the opening of the country. “It is a moment of gathering and pride, but also of reflection on our collective history”, says a head of the Canadian Heritage Ministry.
However, this celebration is of various forms depending on the region. In Quebec, she coincides with the “Moving Day”, a very special ritual that reduces national fervor. In Wendake or Quebec, festivals focus more on Aboriginal cultures. Abroad, expatriate Canadians celebrate their country on Trafalgar Square in London, or in the Shanghai and Mexico consulates.
A variable geometry constitution
National Day is also an opportunity to return to the country’s legal base. If the act of 1867 laid the foundations of a federal system, it was not until the 1982 constitutional law that Canada became entirely master of its institutions. This text introduces the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, recognizes indigenous rights and consecrates the supremacy of the Constitution. But Quebec, which has not signed this text, has since challenged its legitimacy.
Quebec has not agreed to the 1982 constitutional law, which was adopted without its participation in the final negotiations. The province considers that its claims – in particular the recognition of its status as a distinct society and a veto on future revisions – have been ignored. This exclusion, experienced as a rupture of the federative pact, has fueled from an always lively litigation.
“Quebec has never given its political consent to the 1982 law”recalls a lawyer. Constitutional litigation remains lively: refusal of a right of veto, non-recognition of the status of distinct society, exclusion of final negotiations … So many injuries which nourish a persistent Quebec nationalism. Canada’s Day is not unanimous, and it cannot ignore this fracture.
Canada: a country built in stages, an identity to sew
A celebration in search of meaning
The Canada Day celebrates much more than a birthday: it condenses the paradoxes of a vast, various country, built on historical compromises and painful oversights. Between recognition of the colonial past, affirmation of indigenous identities, federal tensions and ambitions to live together, on July 1 is as much a point of festive organ as a mirror of the country’s challenges. What if, beyond firecrackers and flags, this day became the opportunity to think of what it means to be Canadian today?
