What was Canada Day called before 1982?

Canada Day was called Dominion Day before 1982. The name referred to Canada’s status as a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire, established when Confederation took effect on July 1, 1867.

Dominion Day became an official federal public holiday in 1879. Over time, “Dominion” came to sound increasingly tied to Canada’s colonial and imperial past, while “Canada Day” was already used informally by some Canadians.

Parliament formally changed the name in 1982, the same year Canada patriated its Constitution through the Canada Act 1982. The date remained July 1; only the official holiday name changed.

A common mix-up is Victoria Day, which honors Queen Victoria and is observed in May. Confederation Day is also understandable as a description of July 1, but it was not the holiday’s official former name.