Bill C-320

2nd Session, 40th Parliament,

57-58 Elizabeth II, 2009

house of commons of canada

BILL C-320

An Act respecting a National Hockey Day

Whereas ice hockey is Canada’s national sport;

Whereas the sport of ice hockey is enjoyed throughout our nation by Canadians of all ages, genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds;

Whereas the sport of ice hockey, as fostered by community associations and by national and Olympic associations alike, contributes to a stronger Canada by promoting the participation of individuals in their communities and the solidarity of those communities;

Whereas encouraging the involvement of youth and women in particular in the sport of ice hockey is an appropriate objective of the Parliament of Canada, and an Act to establish a national day to celebrate that sport would contribute to increasing that involvement;

And whereas the sport of ice hockey has served as a unifying force throughout our history, is an important component of our contemporary national identity, and is considered a cornerstone of our unique Canadian culture;

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National Hockey Day Act.

NATIONAL HOCKEY DAY

2. Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the third Friday of February shall be known as “National Hockey Day”.

3. For greater certainty, National Hockey Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.