Canadian Rivers Day
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Overview
Canadian Rivers Day is held annually on the second Sunday in June to promote public awareness of the importance of preserving the heritage and health of Canada's rivers. It is an opportunity for all Canadians to honour and commemorate the important sustaining role of rivers in Canada and globally. By participating in rivers day you are helping to spread the message that rivers are vital to maintain a healthy ocean and a healthy earth. Canadian Rivers day allows us to raise awareness of their splendor and value to our land.
History
On June 21, 2002 the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps, signed a Ministerial Proclamation to declare that the second Sunday of June would be celebrated annually as Canadian Rivers Day.See the articleIn British Columbia, Canadians had already been celebrating BC Rivers Day for over two decades and the day is now the largest rivers-related event in North America.[1]In fact it was such a hit in BC that there is now a World Rivers Day See the website which was first announced on June 29, 2005 and is now celebrated annually on the last Sunday of September. Among the groups calling for an annual Canadian Rivers Day was the Canadian Heritage Rivers Board, comprised of representatives from the Government of Canada and all the provincial and territorial governments. Delegates to the 2001 Canadian Rivers Heritage Conference unanimously endorsed the same concept.
How to Celebrate
Each year as more Canadians become aware of Rivers Day there is more participation across the country. From the Yukon to Prince Edward Island you are sure to find events orgainzed to commemorate Rivers Day. If you find that there appears to be nothing happening in your community you can organize your own event or celebrate in various ways, with or without others. Some suggestions of what to do are: Plan a picnic, plan a paddle-a-thon, try voyageur canoeing, share river stories, create some river artwork, and/or take a nature walk or a bicycle ride along a river. Of course there are many other ways you acn celebrate, just be creative. If you're planning an event and want to register it to get the word out or if you're looking for events happening in your area visit the Canadian Heritage Rivers System website Rivers Day section Once there you can also order free River Day posters to help and promote your event or just to help raise awareness about Canadian Rivers Day.