As Canadians prepare to celebrate Victoria Day this weekend, it's a perfect time to reflect not only on the monarch who inspired the holiday, but also on the Canadian women who share her name and have left a lasting impact on our nation.
🌺 What Is Victoria Day?
Victoria Day is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the Monday preceding May 25 each year. In 2025, it falls on Monday, May 19. It originally honored Queen Victoria, the monarch of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901, under whose reign Canada became a self-governing dominion within the British Empire in 1867.
Victoria Day marks the unofficial start of summer in Canada, with fireworks, parades, and garden planting traditions.
🌎 Where Is Victoria Day Celebrated?
Canada – the only country where it is a statutory holiday
Some parts of Scotland observe it informally
Other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand may recognize Queen Victoria's legacy, but do not celebrate Victoria Day.
👑 Is King Charles III’s Birthday Celebrated on Victoria Day?
While Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday in Canada was marked on Victoria Day, King Charles III’s official birthday will no longer be celebrated on that date.
King Charles III's actual birthday is November 14, and his official birthday in the UK is typically celebrated in June (with the Trooping the Colour ceremony).
Canada has not confirmed a new official date for the King's birthday celebration, so Victoria Day will remain a holiday to honor Queen Victoria.
Canadian Women Named Victoria (and Vicki!) Who Made History
Let’s now highlight some influential Canadian women named Victoria, Vicki, or similar variants, who have made memorable contributions to the arts, politics, media, and social change.
1. Victoria Chung (1897–1966)
Born: August 19, 1897, British Columbia, Canada
Claim to Fame:
Dr. Victoria Cheung was the first Chinese-Canadian woman to become a physician. She overcame widespread racial and gender barriers and practiced medicine in Toronto and later China, serving several decades as a United Church Missionary and during wartime. A true pioneer for women and minorities in medicine. She is also called: Victoria Cheung, Zhang Xiaobai, and Cheung Chiu Pak.
2. Vicky Gabereau (b. 1946)
Born: May 31, 1946, Vancouver, BC
Claim to Fame:
A beloved Canadian broadcaster and radio personality, Vicky Gabereau hosted the Gabereau Show on CBC Radio and later her own talk show on CTV. Known for her wit and intelligent interviewing style, she became a household name in Canadian media.
3. Victoria Grant (b. c. 1996)
Born: Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario
Claim to Fame:
A child prodigy and activist, Victoria Grant gave a powerful viral TEDx talk at just 12 years old about the Canadian banking system and public debt. She continues to inspire with her advocacy and public speaking on economic justice and Indigenous rights.
4. Vicki Keith (b. 1961)
Born: February 26, 1961, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Claim to Fame:
A legendary marathon swimmer, Vicki Keith was the first person to swim across all five Great Lakes. She has broken numerous world records and raised millions of dollars for children with physical disabilities. She’s a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
5. Victoria Freeman (b. 1960s)
Born: Ottawa, Ontario
Lives: Toronto, Ontario
Claim to Fame:
A queer, genderfluid writer, historian, educator, and theatre artist, Victoria Freeman has dedicated her life to truth-telling and reconciliation through historical research, performance, and storytelling. She taught Indigenous history at York University and authored Distant Relations and A World Without Martha—the latter shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award. She co-created impactful works such as The Talking Treaties Spectacle and Birds Make Me Think About Freedom, which explore colonial legacies, disability justice, and Indigenous-settler relations. Her current work focuses on creative projects like Where Histories Meet, a forthcoming book on Toronto-area Indigenous history.
💐 In Their Honour
As we honor Queen Victoria's legacy this weekend, let’s also celebrate these Canadian women who carried her name and carved out legacies of their own — in medical missionary, broadcasting, activism, education, sports, and the arts.
*Images for this article were obtained through Wikipedia and other online locations-- AI assisted in editing and formatting. Approved.
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