Preparations are firmly underway to mark Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017 in the capital city Ottawa.

Holidaymakers are invited to join in the year-long celebrations.

The year will mark the sesquicentennial year of the British North America Act of July 1st, 1867, which created the country called Canada.

The date became known as Dominion Day and in 1982 it officially changed its name to Canada Day.

Each year, the day is marked by a country-wide patriotic holiday that celebrates all things Canadian.

The 2017 celebrations are set to surpass anything that has come before.

Created by Ottawa Tourism and supported by a growing community of partners, the ‘Ottawa 2017 Bureau ’ is tasked with creating 12 full months of big, bold, immersive and moving experiences that will complement national celebrations and annual events and festivals.

At the same time, transformative and inclusive legacy projects will be implemented to better the Capital’s urban landscape and to benefit local communities.

City leaders have been discussing plans for more than two years and the Ottawa 2017 Bureau has been winning the support of businesses from across the Canadian capital.

Some details of museum upgrades, major sporting events and enhanced festivals have already been released, but expect some major announcements to be made in the coming months.

It is estimated that 1.75 million additional visitors will visit Ottawa in 2017 to take part in the celebrations and that more than £110 million will be generated for the local economy.

For more information about this special anniversary and for the latest announcements as they happen.