Happy Birthday Canada, this article is about you and your family. I’ll put aside Trump’s asinine notion of the world’s second largest country becoming the 51st US state. Sadly, that’s what many ask when they encounter a Canadian. There’s so many interesting people, places and facts about Canada, besides moose, mountains and Mounties – although I’ve had a close encounter with a moose, involuntarily skied down one of its towering mountains, and have relatives and a friend who are with ‘the force’.
A peaceful indy, no rockets or bombs
Canada is big. It spans six time zones and is more than 5,000 kilometres from Atlantic to Pacific, and again from the Arctic Ocean to Point Pelee Ontario. The US and Denmark share a land border with Canada and the nearest offshore country is France.
From Dildo Newfoundland and Labrador to Stoner British Columbia, Cocagne New Brunswick to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Alberta, Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha Quebec to Climax Saskatchewan, as well as North Pole Northwest Territories and Crotch Lake Ontario, and all the cities and towns in between; Canadians are proud of their land and heritage, from sea to shining sea.
American Independence Day, the 4 July, is recognised by many throughout the UK. Yet few know that 1 July is Canada Day. This year Canada is celebrating the 158th anniversary of becoming a semi-self-governing dominion. Without firing a shot – no rockets’ red glare or bombs bursting in air, just glowing hearts and a true north strong and free – Canada was able to govern its own affairs and control its destiny. Well, sort of; the Constitution Act (formerly known as the British North America Act) included something similar to the words “some conditions may apply” that you might see in a contest’s ‘terms and conditions’.
Emancipation from “Mother England”
The British parliament and cabinet – truth be told, it’s really Mother England’s – still controlled Canada’s foreign affairs, national defence, constitutional changes and other legal stuff. The English behaved like a passive aggressive parent who couldn’t come to grips that the offspring had reached a level of maturity. “I’m only doing what’s best for you. You’ll thank me later.” The parental tether was equally collared to our brothers and sisters in Australia, New Zealand and other former colonies.
Persistence pays off. On 17 April 1982 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and The Queen signed the official document that patriated the Canadian Constitution to Ottawa. Therefore, in the true meaning of independence, Canada has been its own master of destiny for 43 years, no longer being at the behest of England’s parliament to pass Canadian laws.
Scotland’s connection to Canada
I’ve written about Scotland’s significant contribution nurturing Canada’s social, political, economic development before and since 1867, and the present day threats and challenges to its 40-plus million inhabitants.
Ken McGoogan, a Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, authored Flight of the Highlanders: The Making of Canada, examining thousands of Scots who chose to emigrate to pre-Confederation Canada after the infamous late 1700s Highland Clearances. In 2017, a year after Scotland’s rejection of Brexit that incited calls for a second independence referendum, McGoogan wrote an opinion piece in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail where he advocated Scotland joining Canada after leaving the UK.
Could Scotland become part of Canada?
Becoming Canada’s 11th province isn’t a hairbrained idea. Scotland is closer to Newfoundland than the continental US is to Hawaii. Scotland’s culture and heritage are already entwined with Canada and, like Quebec and the Indigenous First Nations people, Scotland would be looked upon as a distinct society within the Canadian tapestry.
Chosen by the people of Hong Kong as one of the best places in the world to transfer their liquid assets, while Beijing started freezing the accounts of suspected dissidents, Canada is home to many majestic, industrious, creative and spiritual wonders.
Canada’s Beaver and other national icons
Canada’s proud national animal is Castor Canadensis, commonly known as the Beaver, a critter that embodies and personifies everything that is Canadian; industrious, contributes to the environment – especially the preservation of the wetlands, homeland to so many species. The Beaver is sung about by the Canadian band, Arrogant Worms.
The Americans have the Eagle but, as with the Russian Bear, it mostly intimidates and when it’s in their best interests, pillages and ravages. England’s Lion does convincingly roar but does little else. It’s the Lioness who brings home the spoils of the hunt, as witnessed by the two Euro football championships won by the Lionesses since 2000 versus zero by the men’s squad.
If Scots like haggis it’s not a stretch to acquire a taste for poutine, beaver tails, tourtière, crackpot split pea soup, Nanaimo bars or butter tarts. While doing so they can wash them down with a double-double of Tim Horton’s (Timmy’s) finest and watch ice hockey highlights, cheer on the Toronto Blue Jays, the first Canadian professional baseball team to win America’s World Series (twice, back-to-back).
Celebrations and European affiliations
Canada Day will resonate with the diverse sounds of from Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot and Stompin’ Tom, to Drake, Alanis Morissette, Nickelback and Celine Dion, highland dance and the pipes, to the Indigenous peoples’ dance and song.
As for France being the nearest offshore country, that would be Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, the French islands off of Newfoundland and Labrador where the Euro is the official currency and it’s a truly European experience.
Denmark shares a land border on Hans Island, a small uninhabited island in the Nares Strait between Ellesmere Island and northern Greenland. Canada signed a treaty with Denmark and Greenland officially ending the 50 year-old “Great Whiskey War”.
There’s so much Canada has given the world in arts, science and medicine, economic opportunities, political diversity and sanctuary, and so much more to come. Admittedly, like every country and society, it has its warts and nightmares, injustices and tragedies.
But in the great scheme of things Canada is a beacon of hope, peace and mutual respect.
Happy Birthday Canada.
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