First celebrated in the United States in 1970 to honor the birth of the environmental movement and to recognize the threats our planet faces, today Earth Day is celebrated worldwide.
At present, Earth Day is observed in 175 countries and is administered by the nonprofit organization Earth Day Network.
Canadian schools generally will create some programming related to Earth Day on April 22nd and encourage students to bring litter-free lunches and stage other initiatives that have a positive effect on the environment.
Consult your local municipal government's website for activities in your community.
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When is Earth Day?
Earth Day is April 22nd.
Earth Day always lands on April 22nd no matter the year. This is a regular school/work day and not acknowledged as a holiday in Canada.
Some Canadians celebrate Earth Day on the first day of spring, which is the vernal equinox that occurs on or around March 21st. On this date, Canada, among other countries, has Earth Hour, during which people across the country turn off as much power as they can to unite in the common cause of reducing our impact on the earth and bringing attention to climate change.
Earth Day is also observed on April 22 in the United States.
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Canada Earth Day Events
The majority of towns and cities across Canada have special events planned for Earth Day.
The initiative aims to foster and celebrate environmental respect, action and behavior change that lessens our impact on the earth.
Earth Day in Canada has morphed into Earth Week and even Earth Month to handle the number of events and projects, such as Victoria’s Earth Walk, Edmonton’s Earth Day Festival at Hawrelak Park (30,000 participants), Ontario’s Waterways Clean-up, a large, star-studded Toronto Gala, plus the thousands of small, private events staged by schools, employee groups and community groups.
Read about Earth Day in Montreal.