Ah, 2017, exactly 150 years after Canada first started its confederation. There were many ways to celebrate Canada’s 150 Anniversary throughout the country (like free park passes, the travelling red couch, toonie design contest…), here are them broken down into regional events.
Alberta
Alberta had the Community Initiatives Program’s (CIP) Alberta Canada 150 stream which provided $2 million to support projects that align with the four themes for the federal Canada 150 approach:
- Diversity and inclusion, and the building of common interests and relationships;
- Supporting efforts toward reconciliation of indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians;
- Engaging and inspiring youth to carry forward the legacy of Canada 150; and
- Connecting Canadians with nature and raising environmental stewardship to the level of national consciousness
The CIP provided countless opportunities to create lasting memories of Canada’s 150 Anniversary, including this series by YAA bloggers. Additionally, in the great land of national parks, free park passes were given out to anyone who wanted them. Free access to parks like Banff, Jasper and more, was a great way to get out of the city and enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds us here in Calgary!
The celebrations are still on-going for Canada 150 in Alberta. There is a Points of View: National Human Rights Photography Exhibition which will feature over 70 photographs submitted by Canadians. The photography exhibition is meant to ignite a conversation about human rights as they pertain to Canadians. This a free show and it opens on November 14, 2017, and will close on November 19, 2017.
British Columbia
British Columbia established a funding program “to celebrate B.C. communities and their contribution to Canada,” with $7.6 million invested in more than 220 projects throughout 150 communities. The funding went to museums and heritage sites throughout the province.
The city of Vancouver refers to the anniversary celebrations as Canada 150+, to recognize Indigenous peoples in Canada who lived in Canada before the confederation. The city’s celebrations included the Drum are Calling Festival, Gathering of the Canoes, and Walk for Reconciliation. Vancouver is situated on the territories of the Musqueam Nation, Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation. These three nations provided permission for Vancouver to celebrate the Canada 150+ events.
Newfoundland and Labrador
The Newfoundland Insectarium and Butterfly Garden updated their exhibits and made them bilingual. These changes were put to celebrate the unity of Canada 150.
In honour of Nova Scotian Joshua Slocum (the first person to sail around the globe in the late 1890s), project coastline got two youth groups to build canoes named 1867 and 2017 to sail along Canada’s eastern coastline.
A chair rescued from the side of the road dubbed the “Canada 150 chair” (believed by artisans to be made the same year as confederation) is now being passed around to people and important landmarks, so residents can take a picture of it, and sit on it to tell everyone why they love Canada.
Ontario
Niagara Falls officially launched its Canada 150 activities at a flag raising ceremony on January 27, 2017.
Many other events are planned for Ottawa 2017. Including many cultural and food events, the 2017 Canadian Video Games Awards, and other sporting events including the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, and the Canadian Track and Field Championships.
Toronto’s iconic 3D Toronto sign was fitted with a large illuminated 3D structure of a maple leaf prior to 2017 at the end of the sign.
Hundreds of musicians are expected to perform together in Toronto to set a Guinness world record for the largest rock performance, by playing four as-yet-unannounced Canadian rock classics. Organizers of Canada Rocks 150 hope to attract 1,500 musicians.
Dubbed the Great Canadian Flag Project, Windsor, Ontario is erecting a 150-foot (45.7-meter) flagpole to fly 60 feet by 30 feet (18 meters by nine meters) Canadian flag.
Quebec
Canada 150 in Quebec coincides with celebrations marking the 375th anniversary of Montreal, where notable projects include decorative lights for the Jacques Cartier Bridge and a new headquarters for the National Film Board of Canada in the Quartier des spectacles.
*These events I mentioned are mostly big ones, most of the provinces just encouraged local or backyard celebrations instead of large-scale ones.
