How long did the Commons group take to pass the 1982 renaming bill?

The Commons group took five minutes to pass the 1982 bill renaming Dominion Day as Canada Day.

The measure was a private member’s bill introduced by Liberal MP Hal Herbert. It had received first reading in 1980 and remained on the order paper before unexpectedly returning to the House of Commons on July 9, 1982. With many MPs already gone for the weekend, only a small group was present, and the bill moved through all three Commons stages without debate.

The speed caused controversy because some observers viewed the procedure as underhanded, especially since the bill changed the name of Canada’s national holiday. The Senate considered the proposal more slowly and debated alternatives, including “The National Holiday of Canada,” before ultimately approving the change.

Royal assent came on October 27, 1982. Canada’s July 1 holiday was therefore officially called Canada Day from 1982 onward, although the first July 1 celebrated under the new name was in 1983.