A lesson in History...as I remember it from high school history classes. 144 years ago our Father's of Confederation got together in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and made a country out of Upper and Lower Canada. Putting the English and French together wasn't easy- still isn't today, however they did it and Canada was born.
The Dominion would soon stretch from “Sea to Sea”.
Holy Moses!
Remember PET?
PET was the PM whose wife partied hardy with Mick Jagger and the Stoned...
I mean Rolling Stones.
Anyway back in 1867, England was fine with the new formation.
Yes, maps would have to be re-drawn.
A national anthem written and a flag designed.
Those things came later.
Much later.
Canadians would still pledge allegiance to the Crown and the Commonwealth.
England wasn't losing a daughter they were gaining both daughters and sons- all our sons command. The Mother Country was feeling true love- from patriots loyal to England.
The French in Lower Canada?
They would have to look elsewhere for someone to hold them to their breast and say- “You did a good job. Yes, you can still go to Mass on Sunday and genuflect to your little heart's content.”
Of course the English speakers living in Quebec were fine with the whole British connection. After all Wolfe beat Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham.
It was a done deal. Besides that guy went to all the trouble of painting that big picture of the victory on the Plains.
 |
| Wolfe (his were the British) succumbs to his wounds on the Plains of Abraham just outside the walls of Quebec City. Moncalm (his were French and some Canadian Militia) passed the next morning. |
Ah-hah.
Not so fast those of English Tongue.
Some things never fade away- like old fishermen. The smell is always there.
Now if memory serves, French Canadiennes in La Belle Province actually made a connection with that other French speaking place- France. Many years later President Charles de Gaulle even screamed- “ Vive le Quebec Libre”. That put the icing on the bilingual cake and it's still being spread today- although not always icing!
Eventually, this young country of Canada added some “Merry-Times” and then some prairies and a beautiful western province on the Pacific once the Canadian National Railway linked us from east to west.
Now that was a day!
A rail route from West to East and East to West. You have to book round trip for the discount and you have to stay over one Sunday and your trip must start before Thursday...
You get the idea.
That's why Air Canada was born decades later.
Finished.
Finally like a good bowl of poutine we were all set- although we did split a territory a few years back to end up with three of them along with 10 provinces and the islands of Turks and Caicos.
Turks and Caicos?
Yes, well, that's not official but we like to think they're ours and as soon as Tim builds a Horton's there the final paperwork will be signed.
I have it on good authority.
So that's it.
A quick history of our glorious country.
Now really, would you rather live anywhere else?
Would you?
Okay, so besides Hawaii, Florida, Arizona, California and Australia- I mean would you?
You would?
Well aren't you just a true Canadian- strong and free, wishing you lived somewhere else.
Somewhere warm. 
Happy Canada Day anyway- you Canadian you!
Wave the red maple leaf a few times this weekend.
You'll feel good about it.
