Our neighbor to the north is celebrating one of its biggest holidays today. So if you know any Canadians, be sure to wish them a Happy Canada Day!
Canada Day celebrates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act – today referred to mostly as the 1867 Constitution Act – that united three colonies into a single country called Canada. Often referred to as “Canada's birthday,” it is Canada’s equivalent to our Fourth of July, as Canada became a country in its own right on that date – though the British Parliament maintained limited political control over Canada that was shed in stages over the years with the last surrendered in 1982.
Very importantly, like Independence Day in the U.S., Canada Day is celebrated with fireworks, parades, picnics and carnivals. Those are some of our favorite things. See, Canada is just like us where it counts!
Canada has given us much to be thankful for. It’s where we all threaten to go when something doesn’t go our way politically. Montreal is as close to Paris as you’re going to get without flying across an ocean (sorry, no Eiffel Tower though). About half of all movies seem to film in and around Vancouver. And it’s given us some seriously great tunes.
Over the years, Canada has churned out some of the biggest stars to hit the U.S. charts. It gave the mid-90s an injection of earthy rock when Alanis Morissette dropped her iconic Jagged Little Pill and provided the early-00s with some fun punk-pop from Avril Lavigne. These days, two of the biggest stars on the planet (Drake and Justin Bieber) come to us from our chilly northern neighbor.
Check out our favorite Canadian music superstars out below!
Gene Simmons: rock god, legendary lothario, reality TV "star" ... and now, savior of the Canadian music scene? Yep, in a somewhat baffling move, the Kiss bassist has partnered with Universal Canada to (re-)form Simmons Records: an all-Canadian imprint hoping to search out and recruit unsigned Canuck music acts.