Trudeau Day!

[jdobbin]

Family Day has existed in Alberta for 17 years already,it's purpose to give everyone a long weekend in Febuary between the Jan.1st holiday and the Good Friday(when will they decide to rename this one?) holiday.McGuinty's declaration of Family Day is long in coming for Ontario.I'm sure the people of Alberta are thankful for this family break in the middle of winter.It does allow "family" in particular those with children, to enjoy a day together......unless of course you either don't care about your family or don't ever take a day off from your usual routine,then maybe naming it after someone will make you feel it becomes more important to have a holiday.

I don't know how this became an accusation about not caring for families.

I just said it was not particularly imaginative. I think the gist of the holiday is time off for family so the name seem a bit redundant.

I don't need it to be named after a person. I was thinking more in the line of important events or something significant to the province or the country. I feel the same way about the Civic holiday in August. It is a bit boring for a traditional day off.

I think that Canada Day is our most unique day nationally. Good Friday, Labour Day, Christmas and New Year's Day are internationally accepted days off. Remembrance day is not a national holiday nor a day off for every province. Victoria Day seems a bit anachronistic but I fear it is too late to change what it is called now. I'd like to see more unique named holidays for Canada. I don't one devoted to any one prime minister is something that would be favoured though.

[Canuck E Stan]

I don't know how this became an accusation about not caring for families.

I just said it was not particularly imaginative. I think the gist of the holiday is time off for family so the name seem a bit redundant.

I don't need it to be named after a person. I was thinking more in the line of important events or something significant to the province or the country. I feel the same way about the Civic holiday in August. It is a bit boring for a traditional day off.

I think that Canada Day is our most unique day nationally. Good Friday, Labour Day, Christmas and New Year's Day are internationally accepted days off. Remembrance day is not a national holiday nor a day off for every province. Victoria Day seems a bit anachronistic but I fear it is too late to change what it is called now. I'd like to see more unique named holidays for Canada. I don't one devoted to any one prime minister is something that would be favoured though.

So what important name to the day would you recommend? Or is it even important enough to care?

Christmas and Good Friday, I see as being two holiday names that will eventually be protested as being too religious in their calling and being changed to suit those that dislike any connection to religion.

Maybe something more "earthy" like Green Earth Day, or Water and Air Day would be better than naming a holiday after someone or some religious event.

[jdobbin]

So what important name to the day would you recommend? Or is it even important enough to care?

Christmas and Good Friday, I see as being two holiday names that will eventually be protested as being too religious in their calling and being changed to suit those that dislike any connection to religion.

Maybe something more "earthy" like Green Earth Day, or Water and Air Day would be better than naming a holiday after someone or some religious event.

I have no idea what name would be good. It depends on what time of the year and which province the holiday is in. Manitoba followed suit with Alberta for a February holiday and some people leaned to Family Day as well. In the end, a competition among schools decided the name should be Riel Day. At one time that might have been extremely controversial but now with a lot of history put behind the province, it seems fair to recognize the person who got Manitoba into confederation.

For a national day, I might suggest Armed Forces Day.

Some days like Thanksgiving in Canada are fairly unique. Although the U.S. has the same name for theirs, our comes at earlier as befitting an earlier harvest. Religion seems to have little to do with this holiday and since it seems centered around a family meal, it is probably why it is so entrenched in our culture.

I doubt Christmas will ever change as it has become secularized but as fas Good Friday goes, it isn't a holiday in the U.S. although I'd say they were more religious than Canada. You could be right that it might be a day that is removed from holiday list. But that isn't going to happen too soon.

Edited October 21, 2007 by jdobbin

[bush_cheney2004]

...Some days like Thanksgiving in Canada are fairly unique. Although the U.S. has the same name for theirs, our comes at earlier as befitting an earlier harvest. Religion seems to have little to do with this holiday and since it seems centered around a family meal, it is probably why it is so entrenched in our culture...

Perhaps it has become secular, but religion appears to have had plenty to do with Thanksgiving Day:

In 1957, the Canadian Parliament declared Thanksgiving to be "a Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed" and officially decided that the holiday take place on the second Monday in October.

[Guest coot]

God and religion are two very different things.

[bush_cheney2004]

God and religion are two very different things.

..and both are related to why there is Thanksgiving in Canada.

[capricorn]

I get the feeling Trudeau Day won't fly.

I like JD's idea of having an Armed Forces Day. Yet, I think too many Canadians would feel that would be glorifying the military, hence war. And heaven forbid we call it Veterans' Day as that sounds way too American.

My preference would be to make Remembrance Day, November 11, a national paid holiday. A lot of workers are off that day with pay already. It would be great to honour the veterans of all the wars Canada fought in. It is my understanding that the Royal Canadian Legion would prefer things remain as is. Their reasoning is that if it is declared a national holiday, children would be out of school and teachers would lose the opportunity of exploring the meaning of Remembrance Day in a classroom setting. I can see the Legion's reasoning. Yet, I'm skeptical whether teachers realistically take that opportunity.

As a final thought, I think we have to be careful not to enact too many paid holidays. IMO this is not good for our overall productivity.

[jdobbin]

God and religion are two very different things.

The first Thanksgiving recorded in Canada in 1578 was just a dinner of thanks for a save journey. No mention of religion although I'm sure if someone reached deep enough, they would say someone did say "God bless us, everyone."

First Nations prior to that had Thanksgiving. Some made it a sort of prayer but for most, it was thanks to the tribe for autumnal gathering of the harvest.

[jdobbin]

I get the feeling Trudeau Day won't fly.

I like JD's idea of having an Armed Forces Day. Yet, I think too many Canadians would feel that would be glorifying the military, hence war. And heaven forbid we call it Veterans' Day as that sounds way too American.

My preference would be to make Remembrance Day, November 11, a national paid holiday. A lot of workers are off that day with pay already. It would be great to honour the veterans of all the wars Canada fought in. It is my understanding that the Royal Canadian Legion would prefer things remain as is. Their reasoning is that if it is declared a national holiday, children would be out of school and teachers would lose the opportunity of exploring the meaning of Remembrance Day in a classroom setting. I can see the Legion's reasoning. Yet, I'm skeptical whether teachers realistically take that opportunity.

As a final thought, I think we have to be careful not to enact too many paid holidays. IMO this is not good for our overall productivity.

Remembrance Day is already an official day off for many provinces. Most classrooms here do something that week and often have students attend events sanctioned by the school on the day of. It is the same day as Veteran's Day in the U.S.

The U.S. also has Memorial Day which I think is more similar to what we do on their Veteran's Day.

Armed Forces Day could include police and other peacekeepers. Just an idea. Unlike Remembrance Day, it would honour our active forces and police.

[August1991]

I like JD's idea of having an Armed Forces Day.

In Russia, this is known as "Defender of the Fatherland Day" and has turned into a Men's Day (sort of like the 8 March is International Women's Day). On Men's Day, there is general drunkeness although in Russia, any excuse is good for a drink.

You gotta admit that "Defender of the Fatherland Day" sounds alot better than "Armed Forces Day". OTOH, we already have Remembrance Day and I think that's a more approriate way to honour our soldiers.

As to Trudeau Day, naming the airport after the guy is enough. Please, no Trudeau Day. (BTW, Montreal has been unable to rename a street after Bourassa.)

----

The idea of another holiday is interesting. First of all, why would we have it in February? It seems to me that it's better to have a holiday when the weather is good. The best thing to do in February is stay warm inside and work. Anyway, there's bound to be a Snowstorm Holiday in February anyway.

Second, would it not be better to mandate an extra day of vacation? At present, most employers offer only 10 working days per year for new employees. Why not change this to 11 days and in effect, let employees decide when they should have a holiday?

IOW, why do we have to have holidays all at the same time? Different school districts have different March breaks and the school year starts and ends differently.

Lastly, I wonder whether the state should be involved in these kinds of questions. Why can't individuals contract this on their own? When you sign a mortgage, you negotiate specific terms of repayment. In the future, employment contracts will likely be the same. Some people enjoy work and/or prefer the cash. After all, a mandated holiday is just a tax on employers. The self-employed lose out.

Edited October 21, 2007 by August1991

[capricorn]

Armed Forces Day could include police and other peacekeepers. Just an idea. Unlike Remembrance Day, it would honour our active forces and police.

Oh I like this this train of thought. Again it's that term "armed" which turns a lot of people off. Let's brainstorm some appropriate names. How about Protectors Day?

[Pliny]

Trudeau Day?! Ha ha ha ah hahahha! The State can recognize him. He did more for the State than the people.

[capricorn]

In Russia, this is known as "Defender of the Fatherland Day" and has turned into a Men's Day (sort of like the 8 March is International Women's Day). On Men's Day, there is general drunkeness although in Russia, any excuse is good for a drink.

You gotta admit that "Defender of the Fatherland Day" sounds alot better than "Armed Forces Day". OTOH, we already have Remembrance Day and I think that's a more approriate way to honour our soldiers.

As to Trudeau Day, naming the airport after the guy is enough. Please, no Trudeau Day. (BTW, Montreal has been unable to rename a street after Bourassa.)

----

The idea of another holiday is interesting. First of all, why would we have it in February? It seems to me that it's better to have a holiday when the weather is good. The best thing to do in February is stay warm inside and work. Anyway, there's bound to be a Snowstorm Holiday in February anyway.

Second, would it not be better to mandate an extra day of vacation? At present, most employers offer only 10 working days per year for new employees. Why not change this to 11 days and in effect, let employees decide when they should have a holiday?

IOW, why do we have to have holidays all at the same time? Different school districts have different March breaks and the school year starts and ends differently.

Lastly, I wonder whether the state should be involved in these kinds of questions. Why can't individuals contract this on their own? When you sign a mortgage, you negotiate specific terms of repayment. In the future, employment contracts will likely be the same. Some people enjoy work and/or prefer the cash. After all, a mandated holiday is just a tax on employers. The self-employed lose out.

I can't master the quote option so here's my overall response to August1991. By the way August I find your moniker quite interesting and I have been trying to decipher it without success.

I don't think an excuse for a drink is unique to Russians so I like them more already.

Trudeau does not need a day named for him as he is etched into our collective memory enough to take up all the days of the year.

Not all workers are unionized and they don't have an employment contract. That's why the state has to be involved. If I as an employer negotiated individual contracts it would not be in my interest to grant paid holidays considering the bottom line and all.

I was a manager for years and in my experience employees consistently preferred time off over more money.

[jdobbin]

Oh I like this this train of thought. Again it's that term "armed" which turns a lot of people off. Let's brainstorm some appropriate names. How about Protectors Day?

Peace Officers Day sounds strange. Protectors Day is too ambiguous.

I think that the present popularity of the Armed Forces and the general respect people have for police and Reserves might carry the day.

I think a national day has to have some gravity to it, something that makes people stop even when they are having time off with their families to think of something greater than themselves. The Armed Forces, police and Reserves have been serving Canada and I think it is important to recognize them when they are alive and doing their duty.

Perhaps there is a better name out there. I don't know. But given how Canadians feel about the forces now, I don't know that any political party would be opposed.

[jdobbin]

Not all workers are unionized and they don't have an employment contract. That's why the state has to be involved. If I as an employer negotiated individual contracts it would not be in my interest to grant paid holidays considering the bottom line and all.

I was a manager for years and in my experience employees consistently preferred time off over more money.

I don't know what the rules are on federal holiday are in the U.S. but I find that many people seem to working if they are not employed by local, state or federal governments and agencies.

Many employers have criticized provinces like Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario for making February a holiday and interrupting their business.