Canada on July 1, 1867 a lot like Canada today

Millions of people are gathering all over Canada to celebrate the country’s 143rd birthday, but the Canada of today in many ways is similar to the one of July 1, 1867.

People celebrated, world leaders worked toward a global economy, Canadians felt attached to British traditions and a new technology was changing how people communicated.

Queen Elizabeth II is even here with us to celebrate this year.

In 1867, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother wrote in her proclamation, “We do ordain, declare, and command, that on and after the first day of July one thousand, eight hundred and sixty-seven, the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick shall form and be one Dominion under the name Canada.”

With those words Canada became a nation.

(RIC’S NOTE: Way back then, Ontario was known as ‘Upper Canada’ and Quebec was known as ‘Lower Canada’, and that is what is meant by ‘the provinces of Canada’ in the above speech by the queen. Yes, Canada was formed with just 4 provinces!)

To read the rest of this article on Yahoo!, please visit this link now:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/yahoocanada/canada_on_july1__1867_a_lot_like_canada_today