Thanksgiving Office Closure – Monday, October 12

The MD of Spirit River No. 133 Administration Office will be closed on Monday, October 12, in observance of Thanksgiving.

Regular office hours will resume on Tuesday, October 13.

A Little History of Canadian Thanksgiving

Every October, Canadians gather around tables with family and friends to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal and take a moment to appreciate the people, places and blessings in their lives. But have you ever wondered how Thanksgiving became a Canadian tradition?

Thanksgiving in Canada has roots that reach back centuries. Indigenous peoples have long held traditions of giving thanks for the land, harvests and abundance of the natural world. European settlers also brought their own harvest and thanksgiving traditions to what is now Canada. Over time, these traditions evolved and became part of the Canadian Thanksgiving we know today.

One of the earliest recorded European Thanksgiving celebrations in what is now Canada took place in 1578, when English explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in Newfoundland to give thanks for his safe arrival. Later, harvest celebrations became increasingly common among European settlers and agricultural communities.

Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday has changed dates several times throughout its history. Unlike American Thanksgiving, which is celebrated in November, Canadian Thanksgiving gradually became associated with the autumn harvest and was eventually moved to October.

In 1879, Parliament recognized Thanksgiving as a national holiday, although the date was not permanently fixed. For many years, Thanksgiving was proclaimed on different dates and sometimes shared a connection with other national observances.

The holiday took another turn in 1931, when Remembrance Day was established as a fixed date on November 11. Thanksgiving was moved back to October, and in 1957, the second Monday in October became the official date for Canada’s Thanksgiving Day. Today, Thanksgiving is observed on the second Monday of October.

While the holiday may have begun primarily as a celebration of harvest and abundance, its meaning has broadened over the years. For many Canadians, Thanksgiving is now simply an opportunity to pause from the busyness of everyday life, gather with loved ones and reflect on what we are grateful for.

And perhaps that is especially fitting here in the MD of Spirit River and the entire Central Peace. Autumn is a time when the work of the growing season is coming to an end, fields are being harvested, gardens are winding down, and communities prepare for the winter ahead.

Thanksgiving gives us a chance to appreciate not only the food on our tables, but also the people who grow it, the neighbours who lend a hand, the volunteers who strengthen our communities and the families and friends who make this region home.

From our community to yours, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving — and plenty of reasons to be thankful.