Canada Day has its roots back to June 20 of 1868 when a proclamation from Governor General Lord Monck called upon all of Her Majesty's Loyal Subjects throughout Canada to join in the celebration of the anniversary of the British North American Provinces uniting under the name of Canada on July 1, 1867.

The July 1 national holiday was established 11 years later in 1879, but at the time it was known as Dominion Day. Dominion Day celebrations were largely held in the Capital Region until 1980 when local celebrations became the focus and money from the Government of Canada was disbursed to help communities across the country host their own events.