-
1856
-
1867
-
Jan 7
Who is known affectionately as the “Miracle Man of Montreal”?
Saint André Bessette, known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal,” is remembered across Canada each January 7 for a life of humble service and extraordinary faith. Although he began as an uneducated, sickly orphan in Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Quebec, Brother André’s devotion led to the founding of Saint Joseph’s Oratory—the world’s largest shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph. His healing prayers drew such crowds that, at his death in 1937, over a million mourners lined Montreal’s streets in the winter cold. Today, visitors to Mount Royal still find his simple black granite tomb and the hundreds of crutches left behind by those who found hope and healing through his intercession.
-
May 19
Why do Canadians observe Victoria Day?
Canadians observe Victoria Day each May in honor of Queen Victoria, whose birthday on May 24th became a national holiday in 1845. The celebration recognizes her pivotal role in approving the formation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, shaping the nation’s identity. One of the country's earliest tributes, the Queen Victoria Memorial Fountain in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, was unveiled on her birthday in 1906, funded in part by thousands of schoolchildren who sold black-edged memorial cards after the Queen’s death. Today, Victoria Day uniquely commemorates both Queen Victoria and the reigning sovereign, marking it as a dual celebration of history and monarchy across Canada.
-
Jan 7
-
1886
-
1901
-
1926
-
1992
-
2014