Good morning and welcome to our Canada 150th birthday celebration! Each hour today we hope you'll join us as we go on a journey together and share some interesting things that make Canada the special and unique place it is. It's all about being together today friends. Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine is based just outside of Toronto, Canada and today is not only about celebrating our grand home but also sharing this home with our readers all around the world. If you're following us from Canada, please jump in and say "hello" and if you're joining us from around the world, please tell us where you're from! At SCT we love to celebrate which means today we have some fun Canadian themed giveaways, an exclusive printable and a little something extra we've created to honour this occasion. At the end of the day, we a fabulous giveaway you won't want to miss. We also want to take a moment to thank our dear friend Alyssa Light for helping us put together a wonderful day for our readers all over the world! So let's get this party started with our name...CANADA!
Internationally, Canada is a place of community and peace, and our name comes from the Huron-Iroquois word, “kanata” meaning “community”. We are a diverse nation that welcomes visitors, refugees, and immigrants from all over the globe. We are a nation that is proud of its reputation for being gentle, kind, and inclusive. Recently, as we welcomed more than 25 000 Syrian refugees, signs started popping up in Ontario that read “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbour”. As we seek to learn more about our international neighbours, we pause in honour of our heritage of community and to thank the Huron-Iroquois People for the beautiful word “kanata.”
We commissioned a wonderful local Canadian designer, Nicki Traikos of Life I Design, (find her on Instagram too @lifeidesign!) to create an exclusive print that you can download and print at home!
Thank you Nicki! The maple leaf on the Canada Flag symbolizes unity, tolerance, and peace and this image represents just that.
Another fun thing Canada is known around the world for is our "loonie" and our "toonie." These coins represent our $1 and $2 currency.
"The Canadian one dollar coin, commonly called the loonie, is a gold-coloured one-dollar coin introduced in 1987. It bears images of a common loon, a bird which is common and well known in Canada, on the reverse, and of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse."
"The Canadian two-dollar coin, commonly called the toonie, is the most valuable of the frequently used Canadian coins. It was introduced on February 19, 1996, by Public Works minister Diane Marleau. The toonie is a bimetallic coin which on the reverse side bears an image of a polar bear by artist Brent Townsend." (thanks Wikipedia!)
Interesting story, the "loonie" was not originally supposed to have a loon on it. After the dies were created for this special coin, the dies were lost in transit. Rather than take a chance of counterfeit coins being made the Royal Canadian Mint created a new die and on it, the loon! The original dies still have not yet been recovered.
Today we would love to share a loonie and a toonie with lucky readers each hour (along with some other fun prizes along the way!) Be sure to leave a comment below by July 7th and we will randomly select one lucky winner this hour to win them! After leaving your comment here we hope you'll take a moment to visit us on Facebook and Instagram and leave a comment there as well for THREE chances to win! We'll be compiling all the comments each hour.
Next hour, learn what some of our favourite Canadian foods are!
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Fun fact: Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world's lakes combined. In fact, Ontario, Canada, has more than 250,000 lakes. They contain about 1/5 of the world's fresh water.
Happy Canada Day!🇨🇦
Posted by: Sue Moody | July 01, 2017 at 10:06 AM
Happy Canada 🇨🇦 Day from Toronto . I love reading about all the things invented in Canadians. Have a safe and awesome day.
Posted by: ColleenB | July 01, 2017 at 10:07 AM
Happy Canada Day!
Posted by: Kelly Tulk | July 01, 2017 at 10:10 AM
Happy Canada day eh! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Posted by: Gisèle | July 01, 2017 at 10:14 AM
Happy Canada Day from Victoria!
Posted by: ChrisMG | July 01, 2017 at 10:14 AM
A very Happy Canada Day to everyone. I am from Scarborough, aka Toronto, and am incredibly proud to be a Canadian. What a wonderful way for Scrapbook and Cards Today, which was born of Canadian roots, to help us celebrate and to share with the rest of the world all things Canadian. Will also say an early Happy 4th of July to our friends south of the border with whom we share this beautiful continent of North America.
Posted by: Sandy K. | July 01, 2017 at 10:19 AM
We had car troubles as we were driving through Canada last Saturday. Everyone was so kind and helpful. We wrapper it's it so very much!!
Posted by: Jean marmo | July 01, 2017 at 10:21 AM
Someday those dies will show up and be worth
a fortune - course you have to explain how
you came to have them in your possession.
Might be a little tricky.
thanks for sharing the stories.
Posted by: Mary Holshouser | July 01, 2017 at 10:28 AM
Happy Canada Day
Posted by: Kimberlyv255 | July 01, 2017 at 10:28 AM
Happy Canada day!!I live in Puerto Rico but visited the falls and surrounding areas in 1983 and it is such a beautiful and special place to go. Enjoy your day!!!
Posted by: Diana Martinez | July 01, 2017 at 10:30 AM
Happy 150th Canada! 🇨🇦
Posted by: Karen | July 01, 2017 at 10:35 AM
Happy 150th Birthday celebration dear Canada!!!
Posted by: Arianna Barbara | July 01, 2017 at 10:35 AM
Happy Canada Day!
Carla from Utah, USA
Posted by: Carla Hundley | July 01, 2017 at 10:42 AM
I was 17 when the loonie made its debut!
Posted by: JoAnn H | July 01, 2017 at 10:43 AM
I love Canada!! Thanks for the chance
Posted by: Krista french | July 01, 2017 at 10:45 AM
Happy Birthday Canada!
Posted by: lisa808 | July 01, 2017 at 10:49 AM
Happy 150th Birthday Canada!!!! Love this country and I'm so proud to live here!
Posted by: Heather M | July 01, 2017 at 10:51 AM
Happy Canada Day! Let's all enjoy celebrating our great country.
Posted by: Betty-Kay Murray | July 01, 2017 at 10:52 AM
Love that you are celebrating Canada Day!!!
Posted by: Karen | July 01, 2017 at 10:52 AM
Happy Canada Day from southern Alberta, almost a stone throw from the Rocky Mountains!! Thanks for the Canadian fun facts; SCT you always go above and beyond with everything you do.
Posted by: Shannon | July 01, 2017 at 10:52 AM
PS thank you Nicki Traikos for the beautiful maple leaf design -- perfect to use with documenting today's celebrations.
Posted by: Shannon | July 01, 2017 at 10:55 AM
love Canada and loving learning some fun facts I didn't know about my neighbor to the north!
Posted by: Alison | July 01, 2017 at 10:55 AM
We live in such a wonderful country! Happy Canada Day everyone. If you don't live here...plan to come and visit. You will be most welcomed.
Posted by: Diane W | July 01, 2017 at 10:56 AM
Happy Canada Day from Ayr Canada
Posted by: heather Wehrli | July 01, 2017 at 11:00 AM
I'm in Edmonton. I'm loving the fun facts and I adore the maple leaf printable!
Posted by: Kelly Kennedy | July 01, 2017 at 11:20 AM