posting
02-18-2008, 07:20 PM
Family Day/Heritage Day?
Catherine Nasmith
Built Heritage News - Issue No. 112 - February 18, 2008
No one can argue that winter is not part of Canadian heritage but I have always wondered why Heritage Day and Week are in the depth of winter when weather limits the kinds of events, sometimes resulting in cancellations. I found the answer at last years Heritage Canada conference. When the idea of establishing Heritage Day and Week (in Ontario) was discussed it was hoped that initiatives to set up a mid winter holiday in February would result in co-incidence, and it would thus Heritage Day would grow to become a national holiday. The co-incidence has happened in Ontario with the establishment of Family Day, but is not reflected in the name of the holiday. Family Day is also a holiday in Alberta, and Saskatchewan so the name Family Day seems to have momentum. No doubt many families will use the occasion to visit Heritage Day events planned in their communities. If the heritage community wants this day to be Heritage Day, it is time to give our MPPs a call and remind them of the co-incidence and suggest that Ontario Heritage Day is the better name. After all we were there first! On the other hand, perhaps it is time to move Heritage Day activities to the long Civic weekend in August, (Simcoe Day in Toronto), another holiday that has never quite found a raison d'etre.
Catherine Nasmith
Built Heritage News - Issue No. 112 - February 18, 2008
No one can argue that winter is not part of Canadian heritage but I have always wondered why Heritage Day and Week are in the depth of winter when weather limits the kinds of events, sometimes resulting in cancellations. I found the answer at last years Heritage Canada conference. When the idea of establishing Heritage Day and Week (in Ontario) was discussed it was hoped that initiatives to set up a mid winter holiday in February would result in co-incidence, and it would thus Heritage Day would grow to become a national holiday. The co-incidence has happened in Ontario with the establishment of Family Day, but is not reflected in the name of the holiday. Family Day is also a holiday in Alberta, and Saskatchewan so the name Family Day seems to have momentum. No doubt many families will use the occasion to visit Heritage Day events planned in their communities. If the heritage community wants this day to be Heritage Day, it is time to give our MPPs a call and remind them of the co-incidence and suggest that Ontario Heritage Day is the better name. After all we were there first! On the other hand, perhaps it is time to move Heritage Day activities to the long Civic weekend in August, (Simcoe Day in Toronto), another holiday that has never quite found a raison d'etre.