Hello. This is Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville.

On June 20, 1868, a proclamation signed by the Governor General, Lord Monck, called upon all Her Majesty's loving subjects throughout Canada to join in a celebration.

That celebration was the first anniversary of the formation of the union of the British North America provinces in a federation under the name of Canada on July 1st, 1867.

It celebrated the culmination of a shared vision for a new country in a growing land.
The July 1 holiday was established by statute in 1879, under the name Dominion Day.

Canada has changed since then and so has the name of our national holiday.

Canada Day celebrates our historical roots, our cultural growth and our shared vision of the future.

It is said that all Canadians came from somewhere.

Our undeniable bond is the opportunity our forefathers saw in this land we call Canada.

An opportunity to provide for themselves and their families and an opportunity to see their children live a better life.