British Columbia Day 2009

British Columbia Day is celebrated on the first Monday of August in Canada’s province of British Columbia. The day is celebrated to honor the people who found British Columbia and to commemorate the transformation of British Columbia colony into a province.

History of the British Columbia Day

Juan Jose Perez Hernandez, a navigator hailing from Spain, was the first person to set foot on British Columbia in 1774 as per documentary evidence. In 1778, James Cook, an English explorer, too visited British Columbia. In 1850’s, several gold finds were recovered in the colony. As a result, the British colonial office established it as a Colony of British Columbia in 1858. British Columbia Colony was made into a province in 1871.

It was on May 1, 1974, that Provincial Secretary Ernie Hall introduced the bill on British Columbia Day, saying that all the provinces in Canada celebrated August 1 or the first working day of the month as a statutory holiday. Interestingly, Parliament had passed an act which changed the Colony of British Columbia into a province of Canada on August 2, 1858, he said during a session. He further said the British Columbia Day should be celebrated to honor and remember those people who had enabled the colony of British Columbia to turn into a province.

How do People Celebrate British Columbia Day

Since the British Columbia Day is a statutory holiday, most of the business establishments, including offices, shops, post offices and libraries, are closed on the day. Public transport plying on the roads is close to nil. August being the summer holiday period, schools too are closed.

People along with their families and friends either hold get together on the day or go for weekend getaways, utilizing the long weekends and summer holidays for children. Some go for canoeing, camping, hiking or trekking.

Apart from that, various events are organized in urban areas, especially in Vancouver, like cultural festivals, firework display and parades. Eminent personalities in various fields like Sports, Cuisine, technology are honored for their achievements on the day.