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Canada Day: The Big Birthday That Connects Us

For some, Canada Day means fireworks, picnics, and parades. For others, it’s a quiet time of reflection — about what it means to live on this land, and how we can do better together. For me, it’s always been a bit of both.

Canada Day marks the anniversary of Confederation — July 1, 1867, when the original provinces united to become the Dominion of Canada. Growing up as a Dutch Canadian kid in BC, I loved the pageantry: flags, face paint, family BBQs. But as I got older, I learned to appreciate the deeper story, too.

This holiday reminds us that Canada is young and growing, still learning how to honour its promises to all who call it home — especially Indigenous peoples who have lived here since time immemorial. That truth adds meaning to every flag I see fluttering over the Inner Harbour or every family singing O Canada under the fireworks.

Here in Victoria, we have one of the best settings for it. Locals and visitors line the lawns near the Legislature or the breakwater, kids run around with glow sticks, and food trucks serve up maple bacon poutine. It’s a reminder that community is built on moments like this — ordinary people, together under a summer sky.

I see the same spirit in my real estate work: families who arrive in Canada looking for a fresh start; retirees who downsize to spend more time with grandkids; young couples who plant roots in the city they love. Every story is a thread in our country’s big, imperfect, hopeful tapestry.

So this July 1, I hope you celebrate your way — loud or quiet, big or small. Raise a flag, hug your neighbours, and be grateful for the chance to keep building the kind of country, and the kind of community, we’re proud to call home.