British Columbia Day 2012
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 thetransformation 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 changedthe 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 tohonor 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.
British Columbia Day Calendar
| British Columbia Day Dates 2000 - 2099 | British Columbia Day Dates 2100 - 2199 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Special Days 2012
- » Memorial Day 2012
- » Fathers Day 2012
- » Juneteenth 2012
- » Shavuot 2012
- » 4th of July 2012
- » Parents Day 2012
- » Flag Day 2012
- » Ramadan 2012
- » Friendship Day 2012
- » Citizenship Day 2012
- » Constitution Day 2012
- » Grandparents Day 2012
- » Rosh Hashanah 2012
- » Labor Day in USA 2012
- » Columbus Day
- » Thanksgiving Day 2012
- » Veterans Day 2012
- » Boxing Day 2012
- » New Years Eve 2012
- » Hanukkah 2012
- » Halloween 2012
- » Remembrance Day 2012
- » Canada Day 2012
- » Sister Day 2012
- » Armed Forces Day 2012
