What do you call Canada’s first-Monday-in-August civic holiday? Well, that all depends on where you are. It’s technically not what Canadians call a “statutory” holiday, and different parts of the country celebrate in different ways. Some provinces and cities don’t celebrate at all.
What’s in a (holiday) name? Plenty!
For example, in Ottawa, it’s Colonel By Day — in honor of Lieutenant Colonel John By — who supervised the construction of Ottawa’s Rideau Canal. New Brunswick calls it New Brunswick Day, while it’s Simcoe Day in Toronto. John Graves Simcoe was the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. The civic holiday, which falls on August 3 this year, strives to help foster the spirit of community among residents.
Here are just some of the other names for Canada’s civic holiday:
British Columbia DayHeritage Day (Alberta)Natal Day (Nova Scotia)Terry Fox Day (Manitoba)
Quebec, Newfoundland, and the Yukon don’t observe the first Monday in August as a civic holiday