This "Week at a Glance" can help you plan for the week. It is only a guide, so let your imagination and creativity loose to come up with ideas for how you can celebrate the week. To help you get started, some ways to "take Canada to heart" can be found here.
Think about what you can do in your community during the course of this week to highlight your own sense of Canadian identity. From going through family photos with your children or grandchildren, to welcoming new Canadian citizens into your community, to taking the family to visit a national or local park or historic site in your area, there are many ways we each can take our country to heart.
Courts of Canadian Citizenship will be held across Canada, as hundreds of people are given a unique and precious gift - citizenship of this great country. Reflect on your own responsibilities and rights as a Canadian citizen in the context of your own community. Find some concrete ways to reaffirm your personal commitment to Canada and to the common values that all Canadians hold dear.
Discover and celebrate Canada's colourful symbols (e.g., anthem, coat of arms, flag) and the common bonds that join us together as Canadians (e.g., understanding and respect for linguistic and cultural diversity). Consider organizing a display at your workplace or at a local school, learning the words to our national anthem in both official languages, becoming more familiar with the different cultural groups in your own community, or learning more about our symbols.
Today is the anniversary of the Canadian flag. It was on this date in 1965 that our distinctive maple leaf flag was first raised over Parliament Hill as the National Flag of Canada. Show your colours with pride as you recognize this unique Canadian symbol.
Friday,
February 16 to Sunday, February 18
Plan the weekend with your family, friends, and neighbours to rediscover the "treasures" where you live. Explore aspects of your local heritage in various locales (museums, schools, senior citizens' residences, art galleries, etc.) and on various themes (architecture, official languages, arts and crafts, voluntarism, etc.). Be part of the fun and excitement.
Since 1974, the Heritage Canada Foundation has helped Canadians celebrate aspects of being Canadian that are as diverse and varied as the country itself. Heritage Day 1996 focuses on the contributions that people of Nordic descent have made to our Canadian way of life. Today, celebrate your own roots and the roots of your community in your region.