Thanksgiving Day and its long weekend provide a perfect opportunity to meet family and friends and celebrate the festivities together. On this weekend, people often travel to meet their families and friends and spend quality time together.
The history of Thanksgiving in Canada can be traced to the arrivals of the first European settlers who came to the Canadian soil in the sixteenth century. An English explorer, Martin Frobisher, is often credited with celebrating Thanksgiving in 1578 on his successful voyage from England to Newfoundland. The first Canadian Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, declared a public holiday on Thanksgiving, and since then the second Monday of October has been celebrated as Thanksgiving Day.
However, at the same time, the perspective of the Indigenous people is completely opposite; for them, this is the beginning of the European colonization of Canada. For some, this is a day of mourning as it invokes the dark and painful memories through which they had to pass over the last five centuries. Therefore, while celebrating Thanksgiving Day, we have to keep in mind the true historical perspective of the indigenous people.
In this blog, we are going to mention some of the indoor and outdoor activities that you can do on this Thanksgiving long weekend.
Victoria
Explore The Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens is a national historic site of Canada with over 100 years of inspiring history. The gardens offer millions of bedding plants with over 900 varieties to explore; what is interesting is that the gardens give a completely different look in the fall because of changing plant and tree colours.
The Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum is one of the oldest and continually operating museums in Canada. The museum is also open on Saturdays and Sundays, which can be a good option to visit on this Thanksgiving Day. This museum has over 7 million belongings, objects, and some other interesting activities for the visitors to engage in.
The Beacon Hill Children’s Farm
The farm is located within the beautiful Beacon Hill Park of Victoria and can be a great choice to visit on this Thanksgiving Day. What is interesting about the farm is that it is only run on visitors’ donations. The administrators of the farms try to engage children in different activities with a mission to create a healthy and respectful relationship between children and animals.
Vancouver Island
Little Qualicum Falls Park
Little Qualicum Falls Park is located in the central Vancouver Island area. It has inspiring waterfalls and several parks for camping opportunities and can be a great place to visit on this Thanksgiving long weekend. It is also a popular family destination and offers tons of picnic locations, too. If you are interested in walking trails and want to explore natural beauty along your trails, then Little Qualicum Falls Park is the place to visit.
Nanaimo River Regional Park
Nanaimo River Regional Park is one of the few remaining natural forests along the lower reaches of the Nanaimo River. This 56-hectare conservation property offers several trails as well as many opportunities for cyclists to explore the beautiful nature.
Horne Lake Caves Park
Established in 1971, Horne Lake Caves Park is called one of the best in Canada. The park has over 1,000 caves that take the visitors on a magical journey full of adventures. The park also offers self-guided walks through small and large caves that have their own unique history and geology.
Vancouver
There are so many things to do this year in October, especially on the Thanksgiving weekend. Depending on the weather conditions, there are so many parks to visit; at the same time, there are also various activities related to Halloween.
The Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour with Forbidden Vancouver
The Lost Souls of Gastown are popular throughout the year, but they get much more attention during the Halloween season. If you are interested in Halloween-themed activities, this can be a good option to look at.
VanDusen Garden’s Harvest Days in Vancouver in October
The Harvest Days event has everything from the fall colours to Halloween-themed activities. This event also has children friendly activities, so families can also have some good time here.
Circo Osorio Circus in Metro Vancouver
This Las Vegas-based circus is visiting Vancouver this time. If you are interested in acrobatics and jugglers, this can be a good opportunity to spend some time watching this fun.
From all of us at Edison College, we wish a happy Thanksgiving Day!
Pictures from Freepik.
