Oakville News N.M.
As I walked in Kerr Village enjoying the early morning sunshine, I couldn't help but notice the number of dads. There were the athletic dads with racing bikes camped outside coffee shops, the older dads strolling with their wives wishing the new dads pushing strollers with their wives a "Happy Father's Day."
The origins of Father's Day can be traced back to the early 20th century. The first known celebration of Father's Day took place in the United States in 1908. It was organized by Sonora Smart Dodd in Spokane, Washington, who wanted to honour her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran and a single parent who raised six children.
The first recorded Father's Day celebration in Canada occurred on June 19, 1910, in British Columbia. Like in the rest of Canada, Father's Day celebrations were not initially recognized as an official holiday in Ontario.
It took several decades for Father's Day to gain official recognition and become a nationally celebrated holiday. In 1957, the Canadian Parliament officially recognized and established the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. This recognition was later solidified when Father's Day received royal assent and became law in 1972.
My son is now married but found time to visit his dad this Father's Day and make him his favourite breakfast. I'm grateful for the wonderful man he has become; this is the most important thing to me.
HappyFather'ss Day!
