THE COMMONWEALTH DAY & ITS CELEBRATIONS IN CANADA MARCH 13TH, 2023

Commonwealth day will be celebrated on the 2nd Monday of March 2023, the day falling on 13th of March this year. It’s a tribute by the monarchies to the monarchs and all the countries that are & have been part of the British monarchies that pay their tribute & respect to the British monarch. Canada is a monarchy, just like Australia & New Zealand and some countries from Africa, which are still part of the British monarchy or the rule of Law. It’s indeed a huge tribute to King Charles III as it is the first commonwealth day under the rule of King Charles III. His majesty was declared the King of the

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ruled over the United Kingdom & other commonwealth realms for the last seventy decades, i.e. 70 years before her death which happened on 8th September 2022. A very sad day in the history of Britain & all its monarchies, as well as Canada and a very historical one in all aspects.

The day aims to renew the vows of international cooperation and solidarity of the Commonwealth of Nations and address the global issues of more than two billion people that consti-

Never Sets on the British Empire’ is a saying that combines the pride of the British Empire with its magnificent size & rule all over the world.

HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTH DAY IN CANADA:

The day has a magnificent history that relates heavily & most significantly with Canada being the largest of the monarchies of Britain in terms of its massive size. The British expansion into Canada was unlike any of their endeavours at the time. To counter the French Empire, the British army laid siege to the Great White North. Also, continued to fight the French expansion for two centuries, i.e. 200 years almost. The Empire solidified its roots in the Canadian provinces although it faced a staunch reckoning from the South. At the same time, it was America’s brewing rebellion that was soon noticed by the Canadian subjects. It was in 1867 that England granted independence to Canada & this became their final glory from the Empire.

The goal of the Commonwealth is to foster International Peace & Security amongst the members & their neighbouring countries. Dedicated to the Empire Day in May 1898 by the famous Canadian author Clementina Trenholme as it’s a day dedicated to celebrating the country's association with the Commonwealth. She named it Empire Day due to the vastness & the power associated with the British Empire. However, the day got its current name, which was Commonwealth Day, in the year 1958. However, later after 15 years, it was the recommendation by the Royal Commonwealth Society of Canada the observation be moved to the 2nd Monday of March as they didn’t want the day to be a fixed one.

Today in modern-day Canada, 21st Century Canadians come together to observe Commonwealth Day. They indeed send a message of reconciliation rather than celebration.

COMMONWEALTH DAY IN CANADA TIMELINE:

The following are the timelines of the Commonwealth Day in Canada regarding key dates.

1898- The First Celebration - The first celebration of commonwealth day is dedicated to the Canadian Author Clementina Trenholme. She was the one who declared or officially coined Empire Day on the Birthday of Queen Victoria to celebrate Commonwealth Day.

1958- The Official Change of Name – This is credited to British PM Harold MacMillan, who announced the renaming of Empire Day as Commonwealth Day in Parliament.

1973- The New Adoption - This was in the year 1973 that the father of current PM Justin Trudeau, i.e. Pierre Trudeau, moved the Commonwealth Day celebration from May to the second Monday of March. The motive was that it should be celebrated on different days every year.

1982- Getting Fully Independent - Canada House of Commons and the Senate pass the Canada ACT. The Canada ACT passed on 1st July 1982, also celebrated as Canada Day, said that the last powers that the British Parliament exerted on Canada officially ended today.

SOLIDARITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS IS A KEY OBJECTIVE:

Just as it says ‘Commonwealth,’ it’s the day that celebrates solidarity & the objective is to keep celebrating the solidarity & unity of the Commonwealth of Nations. These are independent nations & territories still under the rule of the British Monarch, i.e. the King of the United Kingdom & other commonwealth realms. The new King after the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II was King Charles III.

First Commonwealth Day, i.e. 13th March 2023, after officially becoming the King of the United Kingdom & other Commonwealth realms. The day has some historical significance that makes it a very special day, especially after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, as it was in her era in 1958, it was declared Commonwealth Day. Therefore, officially it’s the first time that Commonwealth Day shall be celebrated with a tribute to a monarch other than Queen Elizabeth II.