Who Was Queen Victoria?

Born on May 24, 1819, Victoria ascended to the British throne in 1837 when she was just 18 years old. She went on to rule for an incredible 63 years and 216 days before passing away on January 22, 1901, at the age of 81.

Her historic reign was so lengthy and globally influential that the entire era was named after her - the Victorian Era. For over a century, she held the record as the longest reigning monarch in British and Canadian history (a milestone later surpassed by her great-great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II).

But why does Canada still dedicate a statutory holiday to her every May?

1. She is the "Mother of Confederation"

Queen Victoria didn't just rule from afar; she was directly involved in the birth of Canada as a unified nation.

During her reign, Canada grew from a fractured collection of British colonies into a unified, self-governing Dominion. Victoria actively supported Canadian political unity and formally gave her royal assent to the British North America Act on July 1, 1867. Because of this, she is affectionately regarded in our history books as the "Mother of Confederation."

Fun fact: She is also the person who selected Ottawa as Canada’s permanent capital city!

2. The Holiday Was Originally a Tool for National Unity

We didn't wait until she passed away to start celebrating. In 1845, the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada declared May 24 an official public holiday to honour the young Queen's birthday.

Parliamentary leaders actually used the holiday as a strategic bridge to build common ground between English and French Canadians. At the time, loyalty to the Crown transcended cultural and religious differences. The monarchy was viewed by both groups as a vital safeguard for minority rights and a shield against American expansionism. It successfully shifted the monarch's birthday from a rigid military training day into a unifying, civilian celebration.

3. It Pulls Double-Duty for the Current Sovereign

Following her death in 1901, the Canadian Parliament passed an act to permanently enshrine "Victoria Day" into law to ensure her legacy wouldn't be forgotten.

Over the decades, the holiday evolved to pull double-duty: honoring Queen Victoria's memory while also serving as the official Canadian birthday celebration for the reigning monarch.

In 1957, a royal proclamation permanently linked Victoria Day to Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday celebrations. Following a federal proclamation issued in May 2023, Victoria Day remains the official day to celebrate the birthday of all future Canadian sovereigns, including King Charles III.

📅 Why is Victoria Day Always on a Monday?

Originally, the holiday was celebrated on the exact date of May 24. However, in 1952, the Canadian government amended the Holidays Act to move the celebration to the Monday preceding May 25. This amendment was purely practical: it guaranteed that Canadians would always get a fixed, predictable long weekend to transition into the warmer spring weather.

(Note: If you live in Quebec, you might know this day by a different name. In 2003, the province officially replaced Victoria Day with Journée nationale des patriotes to honor the 1837–1838 rebellion for democratic reform).

Final Thoughts

The next time you raise a glass or light a sparkler over the May long weekend, you can appreciate that you are participating in a tradition that is older than Canada itself. Victoria Day isn’t just a break from work … it’s a direct link to the very founding of the country.

How are you celebrating your May Long Weekend this year? Let me know in the comments below!

#VictoriaDay #MayLong #CanadianHistory #VictoriaDayLongWeekend #ProudlyCanadian #ExploreCanada #HistoryGeek #QueenVictoria #VictoriaDayCanada

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the women who shape our lives with unconditional love, strength, patience, and guidance. It’s a day to honour the moms who are beside us every day, as well as the mothers who may no longer be here physically but remain forever present in our hearts.

For many, today is filled with hugs, flowers, laughter, and time spent together. For others, it can also be a day of reflection, remembrance, and missing someone deeply loved. Both emotions can exist together - gratitude for the memories and love that never fades.

Mothers leave an imprint on our lives that lasts forever. Through their encouragement, sacrifices, wisdom, and endless care, they help shape who we become. Whether near or far, here or in heaven, a mother’s love continues to guide us in ways words often cannot fully express.

Today, we celebrate all the amazing moms:
🌹 The mothers raising families today
🌹 The grandmothers who hold generations together
🌹 The mothers-to-be awaiting new beginnings
🌹 The women who step into motherly roles with love and compassion
🌹 And the mothers we carry with us in memory every single day

Wishing everyone a Mother’s Day filled with love, gratitude, beautiful memories, and moments that matter most.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms … those who hold our hands today and those who hold our hearts from heaven.

#MothersDay #HappyMothersDay #InLovingMemory #ForeverLoved #MothersLove #HeavenlyMothers #FamilyLove #RememberingMom #RedRoses #MothersDayTribute

The median price of a single-family home in Canada’s recreational regions is forecast to rise 4.0% this year!!

Long weekends at the lake, early mornings on the dock, and evenings spent by the water are fast approaching, prompting many Canadians to consider whether 2026 is the right time to invest in a cottage or cabin.

While economic uncertainty continues to influence consumer decisions, demand for properties in Canada’s most desirable recreational regions remains steady. As more Canadians prioritize getaways closer to home, strong demand paired with limited inventory is expected to support price growth in cottage markets throughout the year.

According to the recently-released Royal LePage® 2026 Spring Recreational Property Report, the median price of a single-family home in Canada’s recreational regions is forecast1 to increase 4.0% in 2026 to $604,552, compared to 2025. Despite ongoing consumer caution amid economic and political tensions, constrained housing supply relative to buyer demand is expected to place modest upward pressure on recreational property prices in the year ahead.

“Concerns about the state of global affairs are certainly on the minds of many Canadians right now, including recreational property buyers, and are tempering demand in parts of the country. At the same time, limited supply is supporting price gains in many markets,” said Phil Soper, president and CEO, Royal LePage. “New developments in these regions remain relatively rare, and many properties are tightly held by families for generations. This scarcity preserves the exclusivity of these markets and provides price stability, even when buyers are feeling cautious.”

In 2025, the weighted median price2 of a single-family home in Canada’s recreational property regions increased 4.3% year over year to $581,300. When broken out by housing type, the weighted median price of a single-family waterfront property decreased 5.2% year over year to $717,600 in 2025, while the weighted median price of a standard condominium increased 2.1% to $418,600 during the same period. 

“Several years have now passed since the gold-rush pandemic era that saw recreational property prices rise at a record pace. Today, the market has moderated, with low single-digit price appreciation becoming the norm in most regions,” said Soper. “While sales and prices among waterfront properties softened modestly in Ontario and BC, this category of land is structurally limited, and the number of homes that can be built along these shorelines is finite. This inherent scarcity continues to support property prices in this segment.”

According to a survey of Royal LePage recreational real estate market professionals across the country, more than half (52%) reported similar demand from buyers for recreational homes compared to the same time last year, while 26% reported less demand. Meanwhile, 61% of respondents reported that the average days on market has increased in their region compared to the year prior. Forty-eight per cent of respondents reported similar inventory compared to last year, while 28% reported lower levels of supply. 

“Buy Canadian” mindset strengthens market demand

Amid ongoing economic and political tensions with the United States, many Canadians continue to respond to tariffs and “51st state” rhetoric with their wallets, shifting their spending toward domestic products, services and vacation spots. Canadian travel to the U.S. continues to decline – according to Statistics Canada, return trips to the U.S. were down 14.5% in February 2026, compared to the same month in 2025.3

Many Canadians have increasingly turned their recreational retreat plans north of the border, favouring domestic destinations where they can avoid exchange-rate fluctuations and geopolitical stressors.

In 2026, 40% of recreational property experts reported that the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement has led to an increase in inquiries from domestic buyers of recreational real estate in their area. Similarly, 13% of experts reported an increase in inter-provincial buyers in their region compared to the same time last year; 54% reported approximately the same amount compared to a year ago. 

“Canadians are continuing to swap traditional cross-border getaways for at-home alternatives, trading Florida oceanfronts for Ontario lakes, or Arizona deserts for British Columbia forests. Research we conducted in mid-2025 indicated that 54% of Canadians who own property in the U.S. plan to sell, with many intending to reinvest those proceeds back into Canadian real estate. This could provide a meaningful lift to the market for cottages, cabins and chalets,” said Soper.

Canada’s recreational destinations continue to attract interest internationally. 

One third (33%) of recreational property experts reported an increase in the number of American buyers inquiring about recreational real estate in their area over the past year.

Highlights from the release:

• Canada’s recreational markets are expected to see an increase in single-family home prices in 2026, with Manitoba and Saskatchewan forecast to see the highest level of price appreciation at 5.5%.

• Single-family homes in Atlantic Canada recorded the highest year-over-year price appreciation in 2025, rising 11.8%. 

• 35% of Royal LePage recreational property experts reported an increase in the number of full-time residents moving back to urban centres over the past year.

#CanadaRealEstate #CottageMarket #RecreationalProperties #WaterfrontLiving #CanadianCottages #RealEstateTrends #HousingMarketCanada #InvestInRealEstate #CottageLife #LakefrontProperty #MarketForecast2026 #BuyCanadian #ABRealEstate #ABCottages #PropertyInvestment #LakeLife #ABAcreageForSale #LacSante #LacSanteShores #ABLakes #LakeViewProperty #Camping #RecreationalVehicle #LakeLife #LakeLotForSale