It’s birthday week in North America.
Canada Day, celebrating the anniversary of the Constitution Act of 1867, will be observed by Canadians around the world on Wednesday, July 1. And on Saturday, July 4, Americans celebrate the Declaration of Independence issued in 1776 which led to the separation of the original 13 American colonies from England.
Canada Day was known as Dominion Day until it was renamed in 1982. The Constitution Act, originally known as the British North America Act, united Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada into a single country called Canada within the British Empire. The Province of Canada was split into Ontario and Quebec in the process.
Canada became a kingdom in its own right on July 1, 1867, though the British parliament and cabinet kept limited rights of political control over the new country that were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were surrendered in 1982 when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.
Most communities across the United States and Canada will celebrate the national birthdays with public events such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.