Happy Canada Day, folks!
If you’re raising a glass in celebration today, remember to raise one in remembrance too. For on this day in 1916, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment went over the top in the Battle of the Somme at Beaumont-Hamel.
Of the 780 men who went forward, only sixty eight were available for roll call the following day.
So raise a glass and say your thanks for this great nation, and save a thought for those who gave their all to make it so.
If you think this is Dominion Day you probably think Elvis is just out in the barn.
Canadians have just chosen Trudeau number 11 in the list of this country’s eikons. Our most cosmopolitain prime minister.
“Happy Dominion of Canada Day” – I like it in a Canadian compromise kind of way. BTW, don’t pick on all immigrants, some of us are ‘audible minorities’ who have spent 36 years in the uniform of this nation. Can I go to the HRCs because years ago somebody criticized my accent? Nah, I’m a WASP and they’d ignore me anyway.
I already sent my greetings to a Newfy webmate on Beaumont-Hamel; if in Europe visit that battlefield and all Canadians should do a pilgrimage to Vimy Ridge.
Back to belly-aching over the carbon tax that started today…
we few
we oh so fortunate few
I remain to this day a die hard republican and can’t wait until we as a nation shed the Ontario based elitist colonialism that so dominates the Liberal party today.
Posted by: Joe
Well said. As said before, today felt like I was in am Alien Nation. One that has appeared like another universe. I was not the only one who felt that way as many said when I stopped to make my tours to see if anybody needed anything. I worked at the park today for the celebrations. They where more sad, than anything. You used to see mostly born Canadians of all stripes as well at these waving flags. At my park today for the first time it was almost exclusively immigrants, except the camp sites. The kids where rambunctious. Few flags. A few judges showed up & the mayor for about 20 minutes. I don’t think many noticed. Except the new Canadians being sworn in. It was fine but it was missing something I can’t quite put my finger on, this used to be my favorite work day. Maybe it was me.
Oh Canada was not sung once by any of the bands there or at all. Not by anyone else either, individually or as a group. Depressing really. Canada as a democratic free Country is now only an illusion.
“Canadians have just chosen Trudeau number 11 in the list of this country’s eikons. Our most cosmopolitain prime minister.”
Yeah, and look where that’s got us.
“Most cosmopolitan prime minister”? So what?
‘Didn’t know that being “most cosmopolitan” made you a good prime minister…PET’s the worse PM Canada’s ever had; I smelled a rat when I first saw him in his Magus costume, rose in mouth (reminiscent of foot in mouth disease).
He effectively robbed those of us of British, Judeo-Christian lineage of our heritage (so much for a genuine “multiculturalism”), even though it is largely our ancestors who brought responsible government/democracy to Canada through blood, sweat, and tears and great sacrifice in two world wars–while he rode around on his elitist motorcycle with a Nazi helmet on his tiny, little head.
I shudder to think where he is now…as I shudder when I look at where Canada is now…
First, let me say that 1 July was not in my view the day to be grumbling about Canada one way or the other.
I don’t know about you folks, but I was at home, in and out of the pool, cooling myself off with a few Creemore Springs and barbecuing steaks for my Canada Day dinner.
However, now that it’s 2 July, let me start by stating: a pox on separatists everywhere. They’re nothing but petulant children and the political equivalent of home wreckers.
For AQS:
There was a significant moment at the official Canada Day celebrations that most (English) Canadians would have completely missed. It came near the end when none other than Diane Dufresne appeared.
That such a grande chanteuse québécoise would appear at a “fédéraste’ event to sing for the “Reine-Nègre” will no doubt earn her the predictable title of “une vendue” from the dwindling band of geriatric coots who still count themselves as hardline séparatistes.
I’d say we’re seeing more and more evidence of (to borrow from the French) “cohabitation” here. As the economic and demographic power of Canada continues to shift west, Québec separatism looks much less like the big bogeyman it used to be and now appears increasingly impotent and, well, just darned too silly to pay any attention to.
Better by far to follow the Stephen Harper road: “la présence des francophones et de la nation québécoise au sein de notre pays uni.”