98-559: Victoria Day (French: Fête de la Reine , lit. 'Celebration of the Queen';) is a federal Canadian public holiday observed on the last Monday preceding May 25 to honour Queen Victoria , who is known as the "Mother of Confederation ". The holiday has existed in Canada since at least 1845, originally on Victoria's natural birthday, May 24. It falls on the Monday between
196-521: A 21-gun salute : Gunpowder is placed between two anvils, the top one upturned, and the charge is ignited, hurling the upper anvil into the air. Other celebrations include an evening fireworks show, such as that held at Ashbridge's Bay Beach in the east end of Toronto, and at Ontario Place , in the same city. In Ottawa, the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place on Parliament Hill or occasionally at Rideau Hall . The reviewing officer in
294-399: A levee and military review, banquets, and sporting events. Several different days were used to celebrate a sovereign's birthday. The birth date for George III , June 4, was observed from the late 18th century to decades after his death in 1820. Until the mid-19th century, the monarch's birthday was more of a military occasion than a civil celebration, as it was the day when able-bodied men in
392-480: A civic holiday; however, many do not take advantage of this. Red River Rebellion#Provisional government Métis political victory Canadian military victory [REDACTED] Canada The Red River Rebellion ( French : Rébellion de la rivière Rouge ), also known as the Red River Resistance , Red River uprising , or First Riel Rebellion , was the sequence of events that led up to
490-522: A day-long fête, including pre-dawn serenades, picnics , athletic competitions, a display of illuminations, a torch-light procession, and a gun salute at midnight. By Canadian Confederation in 1867, Victoria Day celebrations were held in communities in Ontario and Quebec and would later spread to other parts of the country as it expanded . Even as the inhabitants of the Red River Colony , in
588-497: A delegation to be sent to Ottawa to engage in direct negotiations with Canada, a suggestion that was eagerly accepted by Riel. Riel also proposed for the provisional government to be reformed to be more inclusive of both language groups. A constitution enshrining those goals was accepted by the convention on February 10. An elected assembly was established, consisting of 12 representatives from anglophone parishes and an equal number of representatives from francophone parishes. Despite
686-641: A formal transfer to take effect on December 1. That increased tensions among the Métis, who, in July 1869, had become more suspicious after McDougall ordered a survey of the settlement. Emerging as a leader, Louis Riel , who had been formally educated in European-style schools, denounced the survey in a speech delivered in late August from the steps of St. Boniface Cathedral . His lifestyle was very different from those of buffalo-hunting Métis. When Riel returned to
784-454: A greater authority to negotiate. On December 27, John Bruce resigned as president of the provisional government, and Riel was elected president. The same day, Donald Smith arrived in the settlement, followed shortly by de Salaberry, who joined Thibault, who had arrived on Christmas Day. They met with Riel on January 5, 1870, but reached no conclusions. The next day, Riel and Smith had another meeting. Smith then concluded that negotiation with
882-869: A holiday for the Gold Cup Parade, held on the third Friday in August. As of 2023 , the day is observed as a statutory holiday for all workers in British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. Schools and some public services close for the day in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Statutory holiday in most jurisdictions of Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Yukon. An optional holiday in
980-505: A militia to arrest the Métis, who were occupying Upper Fort Garry . The anglophone settlers largely ignored the call to arms, and Dennis withdrew to Lower Fort Garry . Schultz, however, was emboldened to fortify his house and his store and attracted around 50 recruits. Riel took the threat seriously and ordered for Schultz's home to be surrounded. The resisters surrendered on December 7 and were imprisoned in Fort Garry. The unrest and
1078-658: A paid holiday to employees. However, many federal government offices will be closed on this day. Statutory holiday in Alberta , British Columbia, Manitoba , Northwest Territories , Nunavut , Ontario , Quebec (coincides with National Patriots' Day), Saskatchewan , and Yukon . A holiday in New Brunswick under the Days of Rest Act. Not a statutory holiday in the eastern provinces of Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island , or Newfoundland and Labrador . Civic holiday (may be
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#17327729114611176-596: A paid vacation day depending on employer) in Alberta (Heritage Day), Manitoba (Terry Fox Day), Ontario (Colonel By Day, John Galt Day, Simcoe Day, and others), and Nova Scotia ( Natal Day ). Not an official statutory holiday in Ontario, but it is widely observed. Not observed in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, or Yukon. Not observed in Prince Edward Island, though many businesses instead observe
1274-652: A pro-Canadian faction who had resisted the provisional government. They included an Orangeman , Thomas Scott . Riel's government tried and convicted Scott and executed him for insubordination. Canada and the Assiniboia provisional government soon negotiated an agreement. In 1870, the Parliament of Canada passed the Manitoba Act, 1870 , allowing the Red River Colony to enter Confederation as
1372-525: A proclamation ordering the Métis to lay down their arms. Instead, on November 23, Riel proposed the formation of a provisional government to replace the Council of Assiniboia to enter into direct negotiations with Canada. The anglophone delegates requested an adjournment to discuss matters. They neither succeeded in rallying the English-speaking parishes behind that move nor originally approved of
1470-637: A resistance rather than a rebellion by some scholars as it was resisting against an expanding authority rather than rebelling against an established government. Lisgar's viceregal successor, the Earl of Dufferin , prevented the execution of Ambroise-Dydime Lépine , who had sentenced Scott to death. Although Scott had been the son a tenant on Dufferin's estate in Northern Ireland , Dufferin heeded appeals from francophones in Quebec who were sympathetic to
1568-545: A statutory holiday, though most give both days. Banks remain open (legally they cannot close for more than three consecutive days except in emergencies ), but employees often receive a "floating" paid day off to be taken on or near the holiday. This is not one of the nine "General Holidays" as defined by the Canada Labour Code – Part III. As such, there is no legal requirement for private sector employers in federally regulated industries to provide Easter Monday as
1666-574: A statutory holiday, though some give both days. In Newfoundland and Labrador , observed concurrently with Memorial Day . In addition to the nationwide holidays listed above, the following holidays are mandated by federal legislation for federally regulated employees. All banks and post offices commemorate these holidays, and they are statutory in some provinces and territories. Not a statutory holiday in any province or territory; however, in Quebec employers must give either Good Friday or Easter Monday as
1764-461: Is also a mark of the beginning of the cottage season, when cottage owners may reverse the winterization of their property. Gardeners in Canada will similarly regard Victoria Day as the beginning of spring, as it falls at a time when one can be fairly certain that frost will not return until the next autumn. There is also a change in fashion: lighter-coloured summer clothing was traditionally worn from Victoria Day through to Labour Day. The holiday
1862-526: Is colloquially known in parts of Canada as "May Two-Four", a double entendre that refers both to the date around which the holiday falls (May 24) and the Canadian slang for a case of twenty-four beers (a "two-four"), a drink popular during the long weekend. The holiday weekend may also be known as the "May long weekend", "May Long", or in Timmins and surrounding areas, "May Run",. The term "Firecracker Day"
1960-580: Is entitled to a paid day off generally depends on the province or territory of residence (with the exception of employees in federally regulated workplaces such as banks). The status of Victoria Day in each of the provinces and territories is as follows: It is a general holiday in Alberta , Manitoba , the Northwest Territories , and Yukon and is a statutory holiday in British Columbia , Ontario , and Saskatchewan . Victoria Day
2058-473: Is not a paid public holiday but is a government holiday in: Newfoundland and Labrador ; Nova Scotia , where it is also not a designated retail closing day, but is considered a "non-statutory holiday"; and Prince Edward Island , although provincial legislation defines "holiday" to include Victoria Day. In Nunavut and New Brunswick , the date is set as a general holiday (for New Brunswick, a prescribed day of rest on which retail businesses must be closed) to mark
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#17327729114612156-402: Is not a statutory holiday. Canada Day is not a statutory holiday as July 1 is Memorial Day . Provincial statutory Optional The following is a list of designated paid holidays for government employees. These have not been observed as statutory holidays since 1992. They are, however, observed by the provincial government. Unlike most other provinces, there is no province-wide holiday on
2254-467: Is the only country that commemorates Queen Victoria with an official holiday. Federal government protocol dictates that, on Victoria Day, the Royal Union Flag is to be flown from sunrise to sunset at all federal government buildings—including airports, military bases, and other Crown owned property across the country—where physical arrangements allow (i.e. where a second flag pole exists, as
2352-501: The Atlantic provinces of Prince Edward Island , Newfoundland and Labrador , New Brunswick and Nova Scotia . In New Brunswick, included under the Days of Rest Act. Statutory holiday in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Yukon. In Manitoba, an "Official day of Observance", not a statutory holiday. In Nova Scotia, addressed in
2450-614: The Hudson's Bay Company in 1869 and appointed an English -speaking governor, William McDougall . He was opposed by the French -speaking mostly-Métis inhabitants of the settlement. Before the land was officially transferred to Canada, McDougall had sent out surveyors to plot the land according to the square township system used in the Public Land Survey System . The Métis, led by Riel, prevented McDougall from entering
2548-547: The Remembrance Day Act , which prohibits employers from allowing employees to work and prohibits employees from working with exceptions for required services. Employers have the option of giving Remembrance Day or an alternate day off. Not a statutory holiday in Quebec and Ontario. Provincially, a statutory holiday in Ontario. A holiday in New Brunswick under the Days of Rest Act. Many employers across
2646-663: The Senate passed a bill that aimed to fix the Queen's birthday in perpetuity as a holiday in her honour. It was sent to the House of Commons , where it languished as a private member's bill without government support. It was not until after Victoria's death in May 1901 that the Queen's Birthday was made a perpetual statutory holiday by which to remember the late Queen, who was deemed the "Mother of Confederation". Some members of Parliament proposed
2744-488: The Treaty of Paris . Historically, the population was mainly francophone Métis, who developed a mixed ethnicity descended of First Nations and French descent and a unique culture during the decades of the fur trade. In the 18th and the 19th centuries, they intermarried; established a tradition of men working as trappers, guides, and interpreters to fur traders; and developed farms. Métis women also were sometimes active in
2842-491: The Wolseley Expedition to be intended to suppress the rebellion, but the government described it as an "errand of peace." Knowing that he would be arrested and charged with criminal acts and believing that members of the Canadian militia in the expedition meant to lynch him, Riel and his followers fled hurriedly when the troops arrived unexpectedly at Fort Garry on August 24 during pouring rain. The arrival of
2940-502: The " Victoria Day disaster ". The Point Ellice Bridge disaster occurred in Victoria, British Columbia , on May 26, 1896, when a bridge collapsed under the weight of a streetcar overloaded with passengers on their way to attend Victoria Day celebrations. Most workplaces in Canada are regulated by the provincial or territorial governments. Therefore, although Victoria Day is a statutory holiday for federal purposes, whether an employee
3038-479: The "List of Rights," which was presented to the convention on December 1. Despite his Métis sympathies, Governor Mactavish did not do enough to end the conflict and was imprisoned by Riel shortly afterward. Also on December 1, McDougall had proclaimed that the HBC was no longer in control of Rupert's Land and that he was the new lieutenant-governor . The proclamation was to later prove problematic, as it effectively ended
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3136-454: The "country born" (also as Anglo-Métis ). The third group of settlers to the region was a small number of Presbyterian Scottish settlers. More anglophone Protestants began to settle there from Ontario in the 19th century. The newer settlers were generally insensitive to Métis culture and hostile to Roman Catholicism , and many advocated Canadian expansionism. Meanwhile, many Americans migrated there, some of whom favouring annexation of
3234-447: The 13 provinces and territories observes a number of holidays in addition to the nationwide days, but each varies in regard to which are legislated as either statutory, optional, or not at all. Many public and private employers, as well as school systems , provide additional days off around the end of December , often including at least a full or half-day on December 24 ( Christmas Eve ) or December 31 ( New Year's Eve ) or in some cases,
3332-502: The 1869 establishment of a provisional government by Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Colony , in the early stages of establishing today's Canadian province of Manitoba . It had earlier been a territory called Rupert's Land and been under control of the Hudson's Bay Company before it was sold. The event was the first crisis the new federal government faced after Canadian Confederation in 1867. The Government of Canada had bought Rupert's Land from
3430-407: The 18th and the 24th (inclusive) and, so, is always the penultimate Monday of May (May 20 in 2024 and May 19 in 2025). Victoria Day is a federal statutory holiday, as well as a holiday in six of Canada's ten provinces and all three of its territories. The holiday has always been a distinctly Canadian observance and continues to be celebrated across the country. It is informally considered the start of
3528-465: The 1920s to coincide with Victoria Day. In 2003, provincial legislation officially created National Patriots' Day (French: Journée nationale des Patriotes ) on the same date. Royal birthdays for members of French and British royal families were commemorated in various parts of Canada since the 17th century. These were ad hoc commemorations, rather than holidays enshrined in law. Early commemorations were typically marked by an official ceremony, such as
3626-494: The December amnesty would apply to both Riel and Lépine . On March 15, he read to the elected assembly a telegram from Joseph Howe indicating that the government found the demands in the list of rights to be "in the main satisfactory." After the preparation of a final list of rights, which included new demands such as a general amnesty for all members of the provisional government and provisions for separate francophone schools,
3724-579: The Easter weekend, in 2018 Prince Edward Island schools considered merging it with the Easter holiday. Governments in Canada have declared one-off holidays on certain occasions, such as the death of a Canadian monarch . A one-off holiday was declared after the death of George VI on February 15, 1952, and after the death of Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022. September 19 was named a national day of mourning ( French : Jour de deuil national ) to commemorate Elizabeth II as Canada's head of state. The day
3822-470: The English parishes to elect provisional representatives. However, the prisoner Thomas Scott, an Orangeman , interpreted Boulton's pardon as weakness on the part of the Métis, whom he regarded with open contempt. After he had repeatedly quarreled with his guards, they insisted for him to be tried for insubordination. At his trial, which was overseen by Ambroise-Dydime Lépine , he was found guilty of insulting
3920-554: The King's official birthday until 1910, when King George V acceded to the throne. From then until 1952, Victoria Day only honoured Queen Victoria's contribution to Canadian Confederation, with the reigning monarch's official birthday typically observed in June, instead. However, for King George VI 's tour of Canada in 1939 , the King's official birthday was changed to May 20, so he could be present for official festivities; still, Victoria Day
4018-596: The Métis and reduced Lépine's sentence to two years in jail. In 1875, Riel was formally exiled from Canada for five years. Under pressure from Quebec, the government of Sir John A. Macdonald took no more vigorous action. Riel was elected to the Canadian Parliament three times in exile but never took his seat. He returned to Canada in 1885 to lead the ill-fated North-West Rebellion . He was then tried and convicted for high treason and executed by hanging. Canadian folk singer-writer James Keelaghan wrote
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4116-532: The Métis and with the general population of the settlement. On November 2, under the command of Ambroise-Dydime Lépine , the Métis turned back McDougall's party near the US border and forced it to retreat to Pembina, Dakota Territory . On the same day Riel led roughly 400 men recruited from fur-brigades recently returned to the settlement for the season to seize Fort Garry without bloodshed. That would come to be known as one of Riel's most brilliant moves, as control of
4214-477: The Métis being upset, as they would also be gaining control over the land. On May 12, 1870, the Métis had been given 200,000 hectares of land, which would make up the Province of Manitoba. That would allow for the Métis to hunt freely in their land and have some form of government with legitimate powers to run the province and protect Métis rights. Even though the government had created the Province of Manitoba for
4312-491: The Métis from power. Mair and Scott proceeded to the Canadian settlements surrounding Portage la Prairie, where they met Boulton, and Schultz sought recruits in the Canadian parishes downstream. On February 12, Boulton led a party from Portage la Prairie to rendezvous at Kildonan with Schultz's men. They intended to overthrow the provisional government. Boulton had misgivings and turned the party back. Riel's forces detected
4410-593: The Métis wanted to ensure that they could preserve their religious and political rights. Their concerns were motivated in part by the Canadian government's behaviour, as the negotiations that took place had carried out as if the territory were uninhabited. The Canadian government appointed a notorious francophobe, McDougall, as the designate of the Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories on September 28, 1869, in anticipation of
4508-400: The Métis, it also allowed the government to have control over the province without being responsible for any events that occurred in it. Manitoba would be the first province created from the Northwest Territories. Significantly, however, Ritchot could not secure a clarification of the governor-general's amnesty. Anger over Scott's execution was growing rapidly in Ontario, and any such guarantee
4606-617: The Royal Union Flag can never displace the national flag ). Several cities hold a parade on the holiday, with the most prominent being that which has taken place since 1898 in the monarch's namesake city of Victoria, British Columbia . In nearby New Westminster , the Victoria Day weekend is distinguished by the Hyack Anvil Battery Salute, a tradition created during colonial times as a surrogate for
4704-718: The West, it was apparent that MacDonald feared that the United States was negotiating with HBC for the transfer of Rupert's Land without consulting the Red River population and the Council of Assiniboia. On October 11, 1869, Riel and other Métis disrupted the survey's work. On October 16 the group organized the "Métis National Committee" to represent Métis interests. Riel was elected secretary, John Bruce as president, and two representatives were elected from each parish. There were originally two resistance groups in Red River. One
4802-534: The absence of a clear authority made the Métis National Committee declare a provisional government on December 8. Having received notification of the delay in the union until the British government of the HBC could guarantee a peaceful transfer, McDougall and Dennis departed for Ontario on December 18. Major Boulton fled to Portage la Prairie . In Ottawa, Governor General Lord Lisgar had, at
4900-501: The authority of the council but failed to establish Canadian authority. McDougall did not know that the transfer had been postponed once news of the unrest had reached Ottawa. Around mid-December 1869, Riel presented the convention with a list of 14 rights as a condition of union. They included representation in Parliament, a bilingual legislature and chief justice, and recognition of certain land claims. The convention did not adopt
4998-450: The behest of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald , proclaimed an amnesty on December 6 for all in the Red River area who would lay down their arms. He dispatched Abbé Jean-Baptiste Thibault and Charles-René d'Irumberry de Salaberry on a mission of reconciliation but failed to give them the authority to negotiate on behalf of the government. Macdonald appointed the HBC representative, Donald Alexander Smith , as special commissioner with
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#17327729114615096-552: The breach of October 1869. Because the Hudson's Bay Company's Council of Assiniboia still had authority over the area, its representatives summoned Riel on October 25 to explain the actions of the committee. On October 30, McDougall had reached the border despite the written order from Riel, who declared that any attempt by McDougall to enter the Red River Colony would be blocked unless the Canadians had first negotiated terms with
5194-468: The ceremony is the monarch, with members of the royal family , the governor general , the minister of national defence, or the chief of the defence staff taking the sovereign's place in their absence. The participating units in the parade include personnel of the Governor General's Foot Guards and The Canadian Grenadier Guards , both of which are part of the ad hoc Ceremonial Guard . Across
5292-570: The colony assembled into their militia units for their compulsory military training, as well as attended reviews and celebrations in commemoration of the monarch. Shortly after the Canadas were united into the Province of Canada , the Parliament sought to create a new public holiday that would form common ground between English and French Canadians , helping them transcend their religious and cultural differences. The birthday of Queen Victoria
5390-436: The committee would be fruitless. He maneuvered to bypass it and to present the Canadian position at a public meeting. Meetings were held on January 19 and January 20. With Riel acting as translator, Smith assured the large audiences of the Canadian government's goodwill, intention to grant representation, and willingness to extend concessions with respect to land claims. With the settlement now solidly behind him, Riel proposed
5488-479: The country observe Boxing Day as a paid day off. British Columbia previously celebrated Family Day on the second Monday in February between 2013 and 2018. However, British Columbia celebrates Family Day on the third Monday in February from 2019 onward. New Brunswick began observing Family Day on the third Monday in February in 2018. Not observed elsewhere. Although March break rarely coincides with
5586-411: The country, Victoria Day serves as the unofficial marker of the end of the winter social season and, thus, the beginning of the summer social calendar. Banff, Alberta 's Sunshine Village ends its lengthy ski season on Victoria Day and, likewise, it is during this long weekend that many summer businesses—such as parks, outdoor restaurants, bicycle rentals, city tour operators, etc.—will open. Victoria Day
5684-639: The date from a military event to a civilian holiday and making it Canada's now-oldest official holiday. On Victoria's 35th birthday, in 1854, some 5,000 residents of Canada West gathered in front of Government House (near present-day King and Simcoe Streets in Toronto ) to "give cheers to their queen". An example of a typical 19th-century celebration of the Queen's birthday took place on May 24, 1866, in Omemee , also in Canada West: The town mounted
5782-423: The delegates Abbé Joseph-Noël Ritchot , Judge John Black and Alfred Henry Scott departed for Ottawa on March 23 and 24. Shortly afterward, Mair and Schultz arrived in Toronto , Ontario. Assisted by George Taylor Denison III , they immediately set about inflaming anti-Métis and anti-Catholic sentiment in the editorial pages of the Ontario press over the execution of Scott. However, Macdonald had decided before
5880-426: The entire week between Christmas and New Year. While not officially legislated in any capacity, internationally notable cultural holidays such as Valentine's Day , St. Patrick's Day , Halloween , Mother's Day , and Father's Day are traditionally observed by Canadians as part of Canadian culture . A statutory holiday (also known as "stats" or "general" or "public" holiday) in Canada is legislated either through
5978-514: The expedition at Fort Garry marked the effective end of the Red River Rebellion. The Red River crisis was described as a rebellion only after sentiment grew in Ontario against the execution of Thomas Scott . The historian A. G. Morice suggests that the phrase Red River Rebellion owes its persistence to alliteration , a quality that made it attractive for publication in newspaper headlines. The episode has been described as
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#17327729114616076-422: The federal government or a provincial or territorial government. Most workers, public and private, are entitled to take the day off with regular pay. However, some employers may require employees to work on such a holiday, but the employee must either receive a day off in lieu of the holiday or must be paid at a premium rate – usually 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 (known as "time and a half") or twice (known as "double time")
6174-488: The federal government that such surveys would precipitate unrest. Headed by Colonel John Stoughton Dennis , the survey party arrived at Fort Garry on August 20, 1869. The Métis were anxious about the survey since they did not possess clear title to their lands but held a tenuous right of occupancy . In addition, the lots had been laid out according to the French seigneurial colonial system , with long narrow lots fronting
6272-506: The first Monday in August. It may be seen as redundant due to the Royal St. John's Regatta , which is observed as a civic holiday in St. John's on the first Wednesday in August (or, in case of poor weather, the next suitable day thereafter). Harbour Grace and Labrador City have a similar holiday for their regatta in late July. All other municipalities are entitled to designate one day a year as
6370-412: The formation of a new convention of 40 representatives, divided evenly between French- and English-speaking settlers, to consider Smith's instructions, which was accepted. A committee of six outlined a more comprehensive list of rights, which the convention accepted on February 3. After meetings on February 7 in which the new list of rights were presented to Thibault, Salaberry, and Smith, Smith proposed for
6468-544: The fort symbolized control of all access to the settlement and the Northwest. Residents of the Red River Colony disagreed on how to negotiate with Canada. In particular, the French- and English-speaking inhabitants did not agree on how to proceed. In a conciliatory gesture, Riel on November 6 asked the anglophones to select delegates from each of their parishes to attend a convention with the Métis representatives. After little
6566-417: The holiday keep the name Queen's Birthday , while others proposed changing it to Queen Victoria Day or Victorian Empire Day . The name Victoria Day was selected by Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier , who wanted to avoid an imperialist name that would antagonize French Canadians. The Crown-in-Council, the following year, designated May 24 as the official birthday of King Edward VII . Victoria Day served as
6664-400: The link was made permanent by royal proclamation . Shortly after Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1898, Clementina Trenholme advocated the creation of Empire Day, a complementary auxiliary event that would occur the weekday before the Queen's Birthday. Empire Day was not intended to be a general holiday like Victoria Day, but, was instead intended to provide schools and civic institutions
6762-547: The list at the time, but once the list of rights was generally known, most anglophones accepted the majority of the demands as reasonable. Much of the settlement was moving toward the Métis point of view, but a passionately-pro-Canadian minority became more resistant. It was loosely organized as the Canadian Party and was led by Dr. John Christian Schultz and Charles Mair . Colonel Dennis and Major Charles Boulton also supported it. McDougall appointed Dennis to raise
6860-447: The men, and on February 17, Boulton, Scott, and 46 other men were captured near Fort Garry. On hearing the news, Schultz and Mair fled to Ontario. Riel demanded for an example to be made of Boulton. He was tried and sentenced to death for his interference with the provisional government. Intercessions on his behalf by Donald Smith and others resulted in his pardon but only after Riel had obtained assurances from Smith that he would persuade
6958-673: The opportunity to implement activities and lessons on Canada and the British Empire before the monarch's official birthday. The event was adopted by several schools in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. May 24 was, by imperial decree in 1904, made Empire Day throughout the British Empire. In 1958, Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day. In 1977, the day was moved to the second Monday in March, ending its association as an "opening act" to Victoria Day in Canada. Victoria Day celebrations have been marred by major tragedy at least twice. In 1881,
7056-472: The passenger ferry Victoria overturned in the Thames River near London, Ontario . The boat departed in the evening with 600 to 800 people on board—three times the allowed passenger capacity—and capsized partway across the river, drowning some 182 individuals, including a large number of children who had been with their families for Victoria Day picnics at Springbank Park . The event came to be known as
7154-816: The petition did not get enough traction for any change to occur. Public holidays in Canada Public holidays in Canada ( French : Jours fériés au Canada ), known as statutory holidays , stat holidays , or simply stats ( French : jours fériés ), consist of a variety of cultural, nationalistic, and religious holidays that are legislated in Canada at the federal or provincial and territorial levels. While many of these holidays are honoured and acknowledged nationwide, provincial and territorial legislation varies in regard to which are officially recognized. There are five nationwide statutory holidays and six additional holidays for federal employees. Each of
7252-456: The president, defying the authority of the provisional government, and fighting with his guards. He was sentenced to death although they were not then considered capital crimes . Smith and Boulton asked Riel to commute the sentence, but Smith reported that Riel responded to his pleas by saying, "I have done three good things since I have commenced; I have spared Boulton's life at your instance, I pardoned Gaddy, and now I shall shoot Scott." Scott
7350-488: The progress on the political front and the inclusion of anglophones within the provisional government, the Canadian contingent was not yet silenced. On January 9, many prisoners escaped from the prison at Fort Garry, including Charles Mair, Thomas Scott and ten others. John Schultz escaped on January 23. By February 15, Riel had freed the remaining prisoners on parole to refrain from engaging in political agitation. Schultz, Mair, and Scott intended to continue to work to depose
7448-812: The province of Manitoba. The act also incorporated some of Riel's demands, such as the provision of separate French schools for Métis children and the protection of Catholicism . After reaching an agreement, Canada sent a military expedition to Manitoba to enforce federal authority. Now known as the Wolseley expedition , or the Red River Expedition, it consisted of Canadian militia and British regular soldiers, led by Colonel Garnet Wolseley . Outrage grew in Ontario over Scott's execution, and many there wanted Wolseley's expedition to arrest Riel for murder and to suppress what they considered to be rebellion. Riel peacefully withdrew from Fort Garry before
7546-468: The provisional government was established, Canada must negotiate with the Métis. Although the delegates were arrested after their arrival in Ottawa on April 11 on charges of abetting murder, they were quickly released. They soon entered into direct talks with Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier , and Ritchot emerged as an effective negotiator. An agreement enshrining many of the demands in the list of rights
7644-476: The regular pay for their time worked that day, in addition to the holiday pay. In most provinces, when a statutory holiday falls on a normal day off (generally a weekend), the following workday is considered a statutory holiday. Statistics Canada shows an average of 11 paid statutory holidays per year in regard to all firms and corporations operating within the province. In Quebec , non-federally regulated employers must give either Good Friday or Easter Monday as
7742-486: The reigning sovereign's official birthday. Beginning in the 1920s, French Canadians in Quebec informally called the May holiday Fête de Dollard , after Adam Dollard des Ormeaux , an early colonist of New France . In 2002, the provincial government of Quebec replaced Fête de Dollard with National Patriots' Day , which commemorates the patriotes of the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837. Canada
7840-430: The river, rather than the square lots that were preferred by the English. The Métis considered the survey to be a forerunner of increased Canadian migration to the territory, which they perceived as a threat to their way of life. More specifically, they feared a possible confiscation of their farmland by the Canadian government. The Métis were also concerned that Canadian immigrants would not care for their culture and so
7938-522: The sand to watch the fireworks display". In 2013, an online petition was circulated to rename the holiday "Victoria and First Peoples Day", to provide Canadians with an opportunity to honour both the Crown and the Indigenous peoples of Canada , which share a relationship . While a group of prominent Canadian actors, authors, and politicians sent the petition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper , in total
8036-465: The summer season in Canada. The same date is also, since 1952, recognized as the currently reigning Canadian monarch 's official birthday (though, previously, that event had been marked in Canada typically on each monarch's actual birthday). In Quebec , before 2003, the Monday preceding May 25 of each year was unofficially the Fête de Dollard , a commemoration of Adam Dollard des Ormeaux , initiated in
8134-523: The territory by the United States. Against the backdrop of religious, nationalistic, and ethnic tensions, political uncertainty was high. To forestall US expansionism and to bring law and order to the wild, the British and Canadian governments had been for some time negotiating the transfer of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company to Canada. The British Rupert's Land Act 1868 authorized
8232-441: The territory. McDougall declared that the Hudson's Bay Company was no longer in control of the territory and that Canada had asked for the transfer of sovereignty to be postponed. The Métis created a provisional government to which they invited an equal number of Anglophone representatives. Riel negotiated directly with the Canadian government to establish Manitoba as a Canadian province. Meanwhile, Riel's men arrested members of
8330-429: The then-British territory of Rupert's Land , resisted Canadian expansion, clashing with agents of Canada's government in 1869 and 1870 as Canada negotiated the purchase of Rupert's Land from Britain, the Red River Colony's provisional government celebrated Victoria's birthday with a show of skill at the militia's drill. The day had become a "patriotic holiday" by the 1890s. Amid the Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897,
8428-552: The trade, and among several influential families in Sault Ste. Marie in the early 19th century, the husbands were European. The Métis culture was based on the French language and Roman Catholic religion. In the late 18th century, English and Scottish men entered the fur trade and also married into the Ojibwe people and other First Nations in this region. Their mixed-race descendants generally spoke English and were sometimes known as
8526-568: The transfer. On December 1, 1869, Canada purchased the territory. In anticipation of the transfer, Public Works Minister William McDougall , who with George-Étienne Cartier had been instrumental in securing Rupert's Land for Canada, ordered a survey party to the Red River Colony. A Catholic bishop, Alexandre-Antonin Taché ; the Anglican bishop of Rupert's Land, Robert Machray ; and the HBC governor of Assiniboia , William Mactavish , all warned
8624-490: The troops could arrive in August 1870. Warned by many that the soldiers would harm him and denied amnesty for his political leadership of the rebellion, Riel fled to the United States . The arrival of troops marked the end of the incident. In 1885 Louis Riel would lead another rebellion, the North-West Rebellion , ending with his capture and execution. In the late 1860s, the Red River Colony of Rupert's Land
8722-1128: Was a holiday for federal government employees. The provinces of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island also enacted provincial equivalents for the federal holiday. The provinces of Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec did not enact any holiday. Provinces and territories generally adopt the same holidays as the federal government with some variations. Five nationwide statutory holidays, four provincial holidays as well as three "optional holidays". Provincial statutory Optional Five nationwide and six provincial statutory holidays. Provincial statutory Five nationwide and three provincial statutory holidays, as well as two optional holidays. Remembrance Day and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays. Provincial statutory Optional Five nationwide and five provincial statutory holidays. Although prescribed as public holidays, Victoria Day, Thanksgiving, and Boxing Day are not paid public holidays. Provincial statutory Optional Five nationwide and one provincial statutory holiday. Thanksgiving
8820-444: Was accomplished at the first meeting, James Ross expressed displeasure at Riel's treatment of McDougall. Riel angrily denied that and stated that he had no intentions of invoking American interventions. Instead, throughout the entire resistance, he insisted that he and the Métis were loyal subjects of Queen Victoria . On November 16, the Council of Assiniboia made a final attempt to assert its authority when Governor Mactavish issued
8918-419: Was also once employed in Ontario. A traditional, short song about Victoria Day went as follows: "The twenty-fourth of May / Is the Queen's birthday; / If they don't give us a holiday / We'll all run away!" The holiday is referenced in the song " Lakeside Park " by Canadian rock band Rush , from their 1975 album Caress of Steel . The song features the line, "everyone would gather on the 24th of May, sitting in
9016-414: Was also treated as a day to celebrate the King's birthday. In 1952, the date for Victoria Day was made variable, changing from May 24 to the last Monday before May 25 each year, ensuring that most Canadians would receive a long weekend . The monarch's official birthday in Canada was, by annual viceregal proclamations between 1953 and 1956, made to fall on the same day as Victoria Day. On January 31, 1957,
9114-433: Was changing rapidly. It had developed under the aegis of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), which had a continent-wide trading and commercial network. It had been confirmed on the territory by Queen Anne , who had evicted King Louis XIV and his subjects from it by the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht . Further notice was given in 1763, when King George III dispossessed King Louis XV of nearly all his colonies of North America at
9212-473: Was executed by a firing squad on March 4, 1870. Historians have debated Riel's motivations for allowing the execution, as they have considered it his one great political blunder. His own justification was that he felt it necessary to demonstrate to the Canadians that the Métis must be taken seriously. Upon receiving news of the unrest, Bishop Taché was recalled from Rome. He arrived back in the colony on March 8, and he conveyed to Riel his mistaken impression that
9310-485: Was led by Riel, and the other was led by a Métis named William Dease, who expressed Métis values in his opposition. For a long time they were locked in a power struggle on a symbolic level, both sides offering different perspectives on Métis unity. Riel finally defeated Dease for the leadership of the resistance and consolidated his support system within the French Métis community. He then felt strong enough to initiate
9408-522: Was not politically expedient. The delegates returned to Manitoba with only a promise of a forthcoming amnesty. A military expedition had in any case been decided on as a means of exercising Canadian authority in the Red River settlement and dissuading the Minnesota expansionists. It embarked in May under Colonel Garnet Wolseley and made its way up the Great Lakes . Ontarians especially believed
9506-420: Was selected to be transformed into a public holiday, as it was a date that appealed to both English and French Canadians. At the time, loyalty to the Crown was seen as a key trait that distinguished Canada from the United States and the monarchy was viewed as a "guarantor of minority rights" in the colony. The Queen's birthday was officially designated as a public holiday by legislation passed in 1845, transforming
9604-480: Was soon reached. That formed the basis for the Manitoba Act of May 12, 1870, which admitted Manitoba to the Canadian Confederation on July 15. The government had to deal with several issues before peace could be made. Fortunately for the government, an agreement was reached. With the creation of Manitoba, the Canadian government would gain control over a new area and not have to worry about
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