On July 1, 2010, Canadians are celebrating 143 years of Confederation. The British North America Act of 1867 officially proclaimed that the Dominion of Canada would now consist of the Province of Canada --Québec and Ontario, and 2 Maritime Provinces, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Canada's history however, goes back 476 years, since the French explorer, Jacques Cartier landed at Gaspé in 1534, and according to international land claim customs of the time, erected a cross and the standard of the royal house of France, proclaiming the new land he named Canada, as a colony of France. The name is derived from the Huron-Iroquois word "Kanata" to mean a village. Two hundred and twenty nine years later, in 1763, Canada was ceded to England with the Treaty of Paris. The Arms of Canada featured above, adopted in 1921, reflects the royal symbols of Great Britain and France - the founding nations: the three royal lions of England, the royal lion of Scotland, the fleurs-de-lis of France and the Irish harp of Tara. A sprig of 3 Canadian maple leaves represents Canadians of all origins.
Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince, Heritage Researcher, City of Yorkton, Box 400 37 Third Avenue North, Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3306-786-1722 historian@yorkton.ca
