When is June Day?
June Day is a provincial holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is celebrated on the Monday nearest June 24th.
June Day was previously called Discovery Day, which commemorated the discovery of the province in 1497 by John Cabot.
Critics of the holiday have pointed out that John Cabot didn't 'discover' Newfoundland and Labrador when he landed on its shores in 1497. Instead, his arrival played a role in centuries of conflict between European visitors and Indigenous people.
June Day is a provisional name and the government will consult with the province's Indigenous groups before choosing a new name for the holiday.
History of June Day
John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) was a Venetian explorer and navigator. Inspired by Columbus' recent voyages to the west, Cabot received funding from Henry VII of England to explore for new lands in 1496. Cabot made his first expedition in the summer of 1496, leaving from Bristol, England, but he ran into bad weather and short of supplies, he turned back to England.
The second expedition left Bristol on 2 May 1497 in a ship called 'Matthew' and made landfall somewhere on the coast of North America on 24 June 1497 (St. John's Day). This discovery marked the first Europeans to set foot on the North American continent since the Vikings in the 11th century.
Though historians have argued where exactly Cabot made landfall, in 1997 the Canadian and UK governments designated Cape Bonavista in Newfoundland as the official place of Cabot's landing.
Discovery Day had been a statutory holiday from 1962 until 1992, when it was removed from the Shops Closing Act.
Since 1997, Discovery Day has also been known as Cabot 500 Day marking the 500th anniversary of the discovery.
Civic Day
Discovery Day in Newfoundland and Labrador replaces the Civic Holiday observed on the first Monday of August in other areas of Canada.
