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As this is the second Monday in October, I would like to wish everyone in Canada a Happy Thanksgiving.

This may be a very different type of Thanksgiving this year, I do think we need something nice to celebrate.

Thanksgiving traditionally marks the end of the harvest season in Canada and has been celebrated in Canada since 1879 and the date varied each year until 1957.

Let’s discuss the history of Thanksgiving in Canada:

• Thanksgiving was declared as an official holiday in Canada in 1957.
• Most provinces, and the Federal Government, have legislated the day as a statutory holiday.
• The only provinces that do no recognize Thanksgiving as an official holiday are the Atlantic provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), News Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
• The first recorded mention of Thanksgiving was in 1578 to mark Martin Frobisher’s attempt to find the Northwest passage.
• Halifax celebrated a day of Thanksgiving in 1763 to celebrate Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War.
• During the American Revolution, many Loyalists brought the more “American” traditions with them, including eating turkey, pumpkin, and squash.
• The first Thanksgiving day in Canada after Confederation was in 1872 to honour the Prince of Wales who had recovered from a recent illness.  The Prince would later become King Edward VII.
• In 1957, Parliament set the date for Thanksgiving as the second Monday in October.
• Thanksgiving is generally celebrated to be thankful for an abundant harvest, although more recently it is also a day to be thankful of other important events.
• The Canadian Football League (C.F.L.) traditionally holds a double header on Thanksgiving, with both games being day games (compared to taking place in the evening.)

So let’s be thankful for a great year and that we live in such a wonderful country.  And Happy Thanksgiving everyone.