Dominion Day or Canada Day?

On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, many will attend a bbq, some organized festivities and maybe even fireworks. It is Canada Day.

Did you know, however, that Canada Day used to be called Dominion Day as Canada’s formal name is ‘The Dominion of Canada.’[1] This name was suggested by the Father of Confederation, an evangelical Methodist, Leonard Tilley. It takes its inspiration from Ps 72:8, “He shall have dominion from sea to sea.” Christ was to have dominion over the country of Canada. The first Dominion Days were of little significance as our identity was caught up in Empire. However, after WWII Canada increasingly came to see itself as part of the Commonwealth but an independent country. The old Dominion ensign was replaced with a new national flag in 1965. A generation later, in 1982, Dominion Day was changed to Canada Day.

However, it was a late night and hot July day when the private members bill to change the name was introduced (the government bill never passed). Only 13 MPs were present when it passed all three readings. (The Opposition called the move, ‘sneaky.’[2]). It was part of Trudeau’s plan to recast Canada as a secular and multi-cultural country (aware of not only the Imperial but the Christian overtones of Dominion Day). While there were protests to bring back Dominion Day, most Canadians saw it as inevitable progress towards independent national identity. Most did not grasp the religious significance. Nostalgic bids to return to Dominion Day continue but lack any realistic political support.

However, as ‘Canada Day’ has come to be morally empty—Trudeau Jr. said Canada was a ‘post-national state’ with ‘no core identity, no mainstream in Canada’[3]—Dominion Day does become an attractive alternative. Sure, we can celebrate a vague sense of freedom, however, this is nothing close to as enriching as a country ruled by Christ and His laws.
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While Christ rules in heaven most Canadians reject Him in their heart. As always, the best expression of patriotism is to evangelistically proclaim the Lordship of Christ afresh until post-Christian Canada is reached for Christ. This is true love of neighbour. True dominion is not ultimately won in political arenas but experienced in one heart at a time. In the meantime, we can thank the Lord for our Christian heritage as we pray and work a revival of Christ’s dominion.


[1] While still technically true, use of Dominion was dropped in 1951.

[2] https://www.cbc.ca/archives/canada-day-1982-1.6496279

[3] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/04/the-canada-experiment-is-this-the-worlds-first-postnational-country