it's NOVEMBER 6TH 2012 The very first Thanksgiving celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World. That means the first Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts! For a few hundred years, Thanksgiving was celebrated in either late October or early November, before it was declared a national holiday in 1879 on November 6th of that year... Canadian James Naismith was born on this day in 1861IN ALMONTE ONTARIO. He invented basketball, thank goodness. Otherwise, Shaquille O'Neal probably would be playing hockey. Can you imagine size-22 skates? Autumn is half over today. If gary bettman sees his shadow we'll get six more weeks of NO HOCKEY.