Canada Day, 1991

In what has become an annual tradition, a commemorative postage stamp will be issued on June 28 to mark Canada Day 1991, the 124th anniversary of Confederation. From July 1, 1867, the official date of the union of the provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, until 1878 our national holiday was known as Dominion Day to reflect the official name of the country. "Dominion of Canada" was the name used to describe the federation established by the British North America Act. In 1888, Canada's 21st national day was celebrated with a banquet held in London, England. It was so successful that it became an annual tradition. In 1893, July 1st was declared "Canadian Day" at the Chicago World's Fair. Over the years the name Dominion began to present a problem because it has no satisfactory equivalent in the French language. On October 27, 1982, by an Act of Parliament, the designation of our national holiday was changed from Dominion to Canada Day. However even before the official act was passed, many Canadians had already adopted the name. Today Canada Day is more than just a day off work for most Canadians. It is now the occasion for elaborate cultural and entertainment spectacles, often sponsored by the federal government to foster Canadian unity. The stamp is the joint work of designers Jean-Pierre Veilleux, Lisa Miller and Roger Séguin in collaboration with illustrator Laurie Lafrance, all of Toronto. Their design shows the fun side of Canada Day, depicting the atmosphere of celebration which surrounds our national holiday.