What the heck is British Columbia Day anyway?

Horror of horrors.

Did you know that before 1974 British Columbia was one of the only provinces in Canada without a civic holiday in August?

And then the level-headed, forward-thinking and fun-seeking Attorney General at the time, Alex Macdonald, proposed British Columbia Day be introduced in 1974 on the first Monday of the month to recognize and celebrate the pioneering spirit, history and diverse cultural heritage of this great province.

Yada yada yada.

The important thing here is that Alex's recommendation blossomed into a glorious long weekend every year that we now know as the BC Day long weekend, or simply the August long.

It's an additional day off work, a three day stretch that allows you to do anything and everything from road trip, camp and hike to picnic, barbecue and enjoy a cold beverage on a patio.

Most of us don't exactly know what BC Day is or how it came about.

But we certainly appreciate the results -- a picture-perfect summer long weekend.

"I totally agree, most people really don't know what BC Day is," said Kelowna Centre Conservative MLA Kristina Loewen with a laugh.

"I even had to look it up. The main thing is to celebrate BC with family and friends. Go camping, spend some time on the lake, picnic, barbecue, go on a hike."

That's right.

The BC Day long weekend can be whatever you want it to be.

Unlike other statutory holidays, it isn't tied to a particular tradition or expectation.

There's no fireworks like Canada Day, no turkey to roast like Thanksgiving, no tree to put up like Christmas and no champagne to open like New Year's.

Although, cracking a bottle of bubbly to enjoy on BC Day certainly sounds like a fantastic idea.

Loewen, a wife, mother and realtor who was first elected to represent Kelowna at the BC Legislature just last October, revealed she was born in 1975 -- a year after BC Day was inaugurated -- in Mission, BC, the oldest of 8 kids.

Her dad was a proud CP Rail worker and she rode the train across Canada with him when she was 6.

Otherwise, most of their other holidays were in the province doing exactly what BC Day is designed for -- hanging with family and friends, hitting the lake, hiking, picnicking, barbecuing and-or wine touring.

Loewen's doing some of that weekend herself, attending the barbecue of colleague of Salmon Arm-Shuswap Conservative MLA David Williams at O'Keefe Ranch near Vernon and then having a backyard barbecue with family and friends the next day.

“The BC Day long weekend gives us time to connect with family and friends and to celebrate all that our beautiful province has to offer,” said Lisanne Ballantyne, CEO of Tourism Kelowna.

“Here in Kelowna, the upward trend continues, with tourism partners reporting strong booking numbers. We’re looking forward to a vibrant long weekend filled with events, experiences, and plenty of ways for both visitors and locals to savour this beautiful Okanagan summer.”

In fact, the BC Day long weekend is typically the busiest of the year with people travelling for holidays and visiting family and friends.

Thus, the highways are bustling, ferries are packed, hotels and restaurants are full and activities get booked up.

It was in 1858 that Queen Victoria named a beautiful outpost on the Pacific British Columbia.

One hundred and sixty-seven years later, BC is known for not just for its scenery and ties to the British Empire, but high standard of living and quality of life, vibrant economy, safety, mutual respect, inclusiveness and freedom.

While the first Monday in August is a civic holiday in most of Canada, there is by no means any sort of standardized naming for the day.

Sure, it's Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick.

However, it's Heritage Day in Alberta, Regatta Day in Newfoundland, Terry Fox Day in Manitoba and Natal Day in Nova Scotia.

It's a free-for-all in Ontario where individual communities have naming rights -- thus Simcoe Day in Toronto, Colonel By Day in Ottawa, Peter Robinson Day in Peterborough, John Grant Day in Guelph, Founder's Day in Brantford, George Hamilton Day in Hamilton, Benjamin Vaughan Day in Vaughan and Joseph Brant Day in Burlington.