I had to look this up...

History and Origin of Canadian Thanksgiving

In Canada Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Unlike the American tradition of remembering Pilgrims and settling in the New World, Canadians give thanks for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada compared to the United States due to the simple fact that Canada is further north.

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada goes back to an English explorer, Martin Frobisher, who had been trying to find a northern passage to the Orient. He did not succeed but he did establish a settlement in Northern America. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now called Newfoundland, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This is considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving. Other settlers arrived and continued these ceremonies. He was later knighted and had an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada named after him - Frobisher Bay.

At the same time, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, also held huge feasts of thanks. They even formed 'The Order of Good Cheer' and gladly shared their food with their Indian neighbours.

After the Seven Year's War ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax held a special day of Thanksgiving.

During the American Revolution, Americans who remained loyal to England moved to Canada where they brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada. There are many similarities between the two Thanksgivings such as the cornucopia and the pumpkin pie.

Eventually in 1879, Parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday. Over the years many dates were used for Thanksgiving, the most popular was the 3rd Monday in October. After World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred. Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day.

Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed...

"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.

Our nieghbourhood.

I found this on a local realtor's website so thought I'd post, to give you an idea of where we live.

Sooke Neighbourhood: East Sooke

Jutting out into the Sooke Basin and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the peninsula of East Sooke is often called "Nature's Gallery".

You're never far from nature in East Sooke. Funky cabins, modest homes on large lots, relatively affordable waterfront, mountaintop estates with stunning vistas, and the largest park in the region, it's all there in East Sooke.

While some of East Sooke is part of the District of Sooke, most of it is an unincorporated area administered by the Capital Regional District, much like Otter Point.

Many people move to East Sooke to get away from the urban centres of the south Island, yet still be within a half-hour's drive to 'civilization.' East Sooke is peaceful, quiet, and beautiful.

With a long coastline, East Sooke has the most affordable waterfront properties on southern Vancouver Island. Mostly fronting on Sooke Basin, many have protected deep water access, perfect for your very own dock. Easy access to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to set out on your sailing adventure or to experience world-class salmon and halibut fishing.

Even if you're not living on the waterfront, there is plenty of public access to the water from regional parks such as Roche Cove or East Sooke Park. Launch your canoe or kayak for a peaceful paddle on the Basin or an adventurous float on the Strait.

East Sooke is very hilly and rocky, and as such a level, useable acreage is rare, but they do come up from time to time. Some of the rocky mountain-top homes have the most stunning views you'll ever see.

There is plenty of undeveloped land in East Sooke for sale, including affordable waterfront, ocean and mountain view lots. Experienced local builders are available to help turn your dream home into a reality.

One big bonus of living in East Sooke is that much of it is protected for posterity as East Sooke Regional Park. Almost all of the south and western coastline of the East Sooke peninsula is part of the park, ensuring local residents and visitors alike can experience the splendour of the coast in its natural state. Many properties border the park, with public access to this huge area at different points. There are approximately 50km of hiking trails in the park, with the 10km rugged Coast Trail, and several switch-backing mountain trails leading to gorgeous vistas. East Sooke Park is so large that even when the parking lot is full, it's not hard to "get lost" for a day and feel like you're the only one in the park.