On 1 July, people in Canada celebrated the country’s 152nd anniversary. Students, faculty and staff of Acsenda School of Management and Arbutus College celebrated Canada Day with a program of activities that included food, fun and games as well as brief speeches from students who talked about their experience of living in their new “home.”
Canada Day is a national observance of the country’s “birthday” as one dominion composed of three colonies under the British empire – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada – and called it Dominion Day. It was later renamed into Canada Day to mark an important milestone in the country’s independence.
International students of both institutions participated in their respective campus activities. At Acsenda, for instance, the celebration kicked off with a brief message from President Neil Mort highlighting the importance of the event in the lives of Canadians and those currently living in Canada as well Canadians living abroad. Students also enjoyed participating in Canada Day trivia as they vied for prizes and expanded their knowledge and understanding of the significance of the event.
Arbutus College, for its part, also had a similar celebration to mark the occasion. Canadian snacks were shared with students, some of whom revealed that it was their first time to try a Canadian snack. It was a day to remember and a happy occasion for students as they swapped stories of their experiences living in Canada – some happy, some memorable and some sad but not devoid of lessons to be learned.
