Canadian Rivers Day
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. Participating in rivers day helps to spread the message that rivers are vital to maintain a healthy ocean and a healthy earth. Canadian Rivers day helps raise awareness of the splendor of rivers and their 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 article In British Columbia, Canadians had already been celebrating BC Rivers Day(founded by Mark Angelo) 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, comprising 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, participation increases across the country. From the Yukon to Prince Edward Island, events are organized to commemorate Rivers Day. Should there appear to be an absence of Rivers Day events in any given community, interested individuals can organize their own event or celebrate in various ways, with or without others. Some suggestions of ways to celebrate are to: 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. There are, of course, many ways to celebrate; the only limit is one's creativity. If those planning an event want to register it to spread the word or to look for events happening in a specific area, visit the Canadian Heritage Rivers System website Rivers Day section Free Rivers Day posters can be ordered through the website to help promote events or just to help raise awareness about Canadian Rivers Day.