Bill S-222 explained in plain English
An Act respecting a Tartan Day
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This bill, the Tartan Day Act, proposes to designate April 6th each year as "Tartan Day" throughout Canada, without it being a legal holiday.
Bill S-222, also known as the Tartan Day Act, proposes to designate April 6th of each year as "Tartan Day" across Canada. The bill specifies that Tartan Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day. The preamble to the bill acknowledges the significant contributions of Canadians of Scottish descent to the development of Canada and notes that Tartan Day has already been proclaimed in Canadian provinces.
- Designates April 6th of each year as "Tartan Day" throughout Canada.
- Clarifies that "Tartan Day" is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.
- All Canadians, as the designation applies "throughout Canada".
- People of Scottish descent in Canada, acknowledged in the preamble for their contributions.
- April 6th of each year is proposed to be designated as "Tartan Day".
- The bill explicitly states that "Tartan Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day" (Section 3).
- The bill text does not specify any particular activities or observances required or prohibited on Tartan Day.
- The bill was not proceeded with, meaning it did not become law.
- The bill does not create any new programs or funding.
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textParliamentary Process
Bill S-222, concerning Tartan Day, completed first and second readings in the Senate before being dropped from the Order Paper.
This record indicates that Bill S-222, An Act respecting a Tartan Day, received first reading in the Senate on June 22, 2010. It later proceeded to second reading on October 21, 2010, with further speeches at the second reading stage on November 16, 2010, and February 1, 2011. However, the bill was not further proceeded with and was dropped from the Senate Order Paper on March 22, 2011.
On June 22, 2010, Senator John D. Wallace introduced Bill S-222, An Act respecting a Tartan Day, in the Senate at its first reading.
On June 22, 2010, the Senate held its first reading of Bill S-222, an Act respecting a Tartan Day. The bill was introduced by Senator John D. Wallace. Following its introduction, the bill was placed on the Order of the Day for second reading two days hence. The rest of the sitting involved various other Senate business, including tabling of committee reports, question period, and debates on other bills and motions. This artifact is a record of that specific Senate sitting and does not contain the full text of the bill.
Bill S-222, an Act respecting a Tartan Day, did not proceed past the Second Reading stage in the Senate and was dropped from the Order Paper.
On February 1, 2011, the Senate was at the Second Reading stage for Bill S-222, an Act respecting a Tartan Day. However, this bill was ultimately dropped from the Senate Order Paper on March 22, 2011, according to Rule 4-15(2) of the Rules of the Senate. This means the bill did not proceed further in the legislative process at that time.
During a Senate sitting on October 21, 2010, the second reading debate for Bill S-222, An Act respecting a Tartan Day, was adjourned.
This document records a Senate sitting on October 21, 2010. During this sitting, several important procedural steps occurred related to various bills and committee reports. Notably, Bill S-222, "An Act respecting a Tartan Day," was at its second reading stage, and the debate on it was adjourned. Other items addressed included the tabling of reports, the adoption of committee budgets, and ongoing debates on various motions and other bills, such as amendments to the Official Languages Act.
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-222, which proposes to recognize April 6 as Tartan Day nationally, the sponsor highlighted the historical significance of the date and the significant contributions of Scottish heritage to Canada, after which the debate was adjourned.
This artifact records the Senate's debate at the second reading stage for Bill S-222, An Act respecting a Tartan Day. Senator John D. Wallace spoke in favour of the bill, explaining its purpose to nationally recognize April 6 as Tartan Day. He detailed the historical significance of April 6, 1320 (the Declaration of Arbroath), and the substantial contributions of people of Scottish descent to Canada's history, culture, and development. Senator Wallace noted that many provinces already recognize Tartan Day and highlighted the influence of Scottish heritage across Canada. He also mentioned that the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages would announce the official recognition of Tartan Day by the Government of Canada. Senator Bill Rompkey asked a question about specific historical figures and offered to sell Labrador tartan fabric. The debate was then adjourned.
The Senate continued debate on a bill to establish a national Tartan Day, but a senator noted the government had already declared April 6 as Tartan Day, potentially making the bill unnecessary.
On November 16, 2010, the Senate continued debate on Bill S-222, An Act respecting a Tartan Day. Senator W. David Angus spoke in support of the bill, noting that similar legislation had been introduced by Senator John Wallace. However, Senator Angus indicated that the government, through a press release from the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, had already declared April 6 as Tartan Day. He explained that this federal recognition followed similar declarations by every province and at least one territory. Senator Angus shared personal connections to Scottish heritage and discussed the historical contributions of Scottish people to Canada. He also shared anecdotes and humour related to Scottish culture. Senator Francis William Mahovlich asked about a potential national tartan and the requirement to wear a kilt, to which Senator Angus responded that a 'Canada tartan' exists but has not been officially adopted due to intellectual property issues. The debate was adjourned.
During a Senate debate on Bill S-222 to establish a national Tartan Day, a senator spoke in favour, noting that the federal government had already declared April 6 as Tartan Day, making the bill potentially redundant.
This document summarizes a debate in the Senate on November 16, 2010, concerning Bill S-222, an Act respecting a Tartan Day. The debate continued from a previous sitting. Senator W. David Angus spoke in favour of the bill, noting its aim to establish a federally recognized Tartan Day on April 6. He mentioned that many provinces already celebrate Tartan Day and that a press release from the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages had declared April 6 as Tartan Day. Senator Angus shared personal connections to Scottish heritage and discussed the historical contributions of Scottish people to Canada. The debate was adjourned to a later date.
On February 1, 2011, the Senate heard tributes, introduced new senators, debated various issues, and continued debate on Bill S-222 regarding Tartan Day.
This document is a record of a Senate sitting on February 1, 2011. The sitting included a silent tribute to a fallen soldier, the introduction and swearing-in of two new senators, senators' statements on various topics including suicide prevention, the International Year for People of African Descent, and women's heart health. It also included the tabling of several committee reports, the first reading of a bill from the House of Commons, a notice of inquiry, and question period where senators asked questions on topics such as the evacuation of Canadian citizens from Egypt, mental health services in prisons, and infrastructure funding. The sitting concluded with continued debate on Bill S-222, An Act respecting a Tartan Day, and debate on other committee reports.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced