Two aspects of July 1

First I would like to wish everyone a happy Canada Day.

Yes, it is technically July 2nd and I'm therefore a day behind... but let us not get too picky.

Canada Day is when us Canadians celebrate the birth of our country and express our joy of being a part of this vast and diverse country. I'm very proud to be a Canadian and am happy to tell people where I'm from when travelling. I take pride in my love of hockey, things that are maple favoured, and the addition of the letter "u" to certain words like, colour, favour and harbour.

But July 1 is also known as Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador. It marks the anniversary of the tragic loss of life experienced by the Newfoundland Regiment during the first day on the Somme at the Battle of Beaumont Hamel.

So not to put a total downer on this happy national holiday, but it is/was also a day of remembrance, honour and respect.

Once uploaded to my Flickr account, I'll send over a photo from tonight's fireworks at Ontario Place.

And it's back to work after a four-day weekend... tomorrow's going to be tough.