Jul 01, 2018
Canada Day 2018
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Canada was formed on this day in 1867, uniting the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Canada, whose name derives from the Huron-Iroquois word for village, “kanata.”
On the first Canada Day, 151 years ago, oxen were roasted in Toronto and meat was distributed to the poor. Brass bands played in many cities and towns. Today, Canadians get together with friends and family to watch fireworks and enjoy different regions’ famous foods.
A typical Canada Day menu includes poutine, the Quebecois dish of gravy and cheese curds over French fries, Montreal smoked meat, Alberta beef, or seafood—Atlantic lobster rolls; west coast oysters and shellfish. Wash it all down with Canada’s national cocktail, the Caesar, a Bloody Mary mixed with clam juice.
Canada’s red maple leaf flag was first flown in 1965, replacing the British Union Jack. The single maple leaf represents not only the ten species of maple trees native to Canada (which provide 71% of the world’s maple syrup), but “all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion,” as Honourable Maurice Bourget, Speaker of the Senate, remarked when the design was officially approved.
Today’s Doodle reflects this idea of Canada as a mosaic of cultures. Often referred to as “a nation of newcomers,” Canada boasts the highest percentage of immigrants among all G8 nations. The 1988 Canadian Multicultural Act invests in diversity by providing federal funds to help ethnic groups preserve their cultures. On the streets of Montreal or Toronto you can hear many more languages being spoken besides English and French.
Happy Canada Day!
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