TheCanadian Centennial was a yearlong celebration held in 1967 to celebrate the 100th anniversary ofCanadian Confederation. Celebrations inCanada occurred throughout the year but culminated onDominion Day, July 1. Commemorative coins were minted, that were different from typical issues with animals on each — thecent, for instance, had adove on its reverse. Communities and organizations across Canada were encouraged to engage in Centennial projects to celebrate the anniversary. The projects ranged from special one-time events to local improvement projects, such as the construction of municipal arenas and parks. TheCentennial Flame was also added to Parliament Hill. Children born in 1967 were declared Centennial babies.
In 1961, Prime MinisterJohn Diefenbaker announced that the federal government would provide funding for the construction of about 860 buildings as centennial projects.[1] Under the Centennial Commission, convened in January 1963, various projects were commissioned to commemorate the Centennial year.[2] In 1965, Prime MinisterLester Pearson appointed a committee headed byErnest Côté to plan events in Ottawa for 1967.[3] TheCBC commissionedGordon Lightfoot to write the song the "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" for broadcast on January 1, 1967. TheCanadian Government commissioned typographerCarl Dair to create a new and distinctively Canadiantypeface. The first proof ofCartier was published as "the first Canadian type for text composition" to mark the centenary ofCanadian Confederation.[4]
TheCanadian Armed Forces contributed to Centennial celebrations by producing amilitary tattoo unlike any other in Canadian history. It was formed inPicton, Ontario in February 1967 by members from the three branches of the military providing service personnel at the Picton base for training purposes. The show was produced by Colonel Ian Fraser of theBlack Watch and would eventually included 1700 military men and women in a show that would travel across Canada from March to November performing over 150 performances. Some said that Tattoo 1967 was the major event that year and there were calls to have the Tattoo travel through the U.S., Europe and even the Soviet Union but Prime Minister Pearson did not approve the proposal.CBC Television and theNational Film Board of Canada filmed the Tattoo, as did the Military. Tattoo 1967 was the largest undertaking by the military during peacetime and has never been reproduced since. The Tattoo depicted themilitary history of Canada from the first French military and settlers in Canada in 1665 right up to Canada's UN Peace Keeping role in 1967.
Challenge for Change (in QuebecSocieté Nouvelle) was aparticipatory film and video project created by theNational Film Board of Canada in 1967 as a response to the Centennial. Active until 1980, Challenge for Change used film and video production to illuminate the social concerns of various communities within Canada, with funding from eight different departments of theCanadian government. The impetus for the program was the belief that film and video were useful tools for initiating social change and eliminating poverty.[5]
In Toronto, theCaribana parade and festival was launched in 1967 as a celebration of Caribbean culture, and as a gift from Canada'sWest Indian community in tribute to the Centennial year.[6][7]
TheCentennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant was a canoe race started on May 24 in theRocky Mountains by ten teams representing eight provinces and the two territories. Two provinces were not entered. 3,283 miles were paddled andportaged in 104 days by 100 men using six man shifts per team. They arrived in Montreal on September 4. Other privately sponsored canoes from across the country made similar trips.
In November 1967, theConfederation of Tomorrow conference was held at the newly builtToronto-Dominion Bank Tower. Called by Ontario PremierJohn Robarts, the summit of provincial premiers led to a new round of federal-provincial negotiations to amend theCanadian Constitution.[8]
The Yukon River Flotilla was a Centennial project organized and sponsored by the Yukon Fish and Game Association. It was a voyage down theYukon River fromWhitehorse toDawson City commemorating the memory of theKlondike gold-seekers who sailed the Yukon River fromBennett Lake to Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898.[9]
On August 6, 54 craft departed Whitehorse on a ten-day voyage to Dawson carrying 108 adults, 45 children, and 9 dogs. Participants came from four provinces, thirteen states and one European country. They sailed in different types of watercraft to include rubber-rafts, canoes, kayaks, river-boats, power-boats, skiffs, cabin cruisers, and fourAmphicars.[9][10][11]
In addition to these major projects there were commemorative projects throughout the country. Municipal funding for approved centennial projects was matched dollar for dollar by both the province and the federal government.[2] Providing a concrete reminder of the centennial year celebrations these projects included the 1,500 seatNorbrock Stadium inKamloops, British Columbia, theNational Arts Centre inOttawa, theCentennial Building inFredericton and many others.[2][12] Approximately $25 million was made available by the Centennial Committee for local projects.[2]
Some projects, such as theOntario Science Centre, were completed after the 1967 centennial.[13]
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, or Expo 67 as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition,Category OneWorld's Fair held inMontreal from April 27 to October 29. Expo 67 was Canada's main celebration during the centennial year.
In a political and cultural context, Expo 67 was seen as a landmark moment in Canadian history.[14] Expo 67 in particular was a signifier of the nation's mood of extreme optimism and confidence on heading into its second century. In retrospect, the centennial is seen as a high point of Canadian aspirations prior to the anxious decade of the 1970s that saw the nation divided over issues relating toinflation, aneconomic recession, government budget deficits andQuebec separatism. Popular Canadian historianPierre Berton referred to the centennial as "the last good year" in his book1967: The Last Good Year.
In 1961, Prime MinisterJohn Diefenbaker proposed a travelling exhibit on a train that would traverse the country and bring exhibits on the history of Canada to the citizens. The train consisted of six exhibit cars and seven cars for staff and equipment pulled by two diesel locomotives, one from each fromCanadian Pacific Railway andCanadian National Railway. The locomotives were painted in purple, grey, and black livery and had a customair horn that sounded the first four notes of "O Canada." The train was inaugurated on January 9 inVictoria and made 83 stops across the country before reaching its final stop in Montreal on December 5.[15]
TheBank of Canada issued intocirculation a redesigned version of the $1banknote from the1954 Series. The image on thereverse of this version shows the originalParliament Buildings, and the obverse includes a green monochrome adaptation of the stylised maple leaf Centennial logo marked with the years 1867 and 1967.[16] Two variants of the design were printed; the first had the serial number at the top of the obverse, whereas the second and more common variant had the years 1867 and 1967 printed twice flanking the apex of the coat of arms.[16]
TheCanadian Centennial Medal was issued in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, and was awarded to Canadians who were recommended by governments and associations for having provided valuable service to this country.[17] Some 30,000 Medals were conferred on Canadians selected from all sectors of Canadian society.
Norbrock was built as a 1967 Canada Centennial project.
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