06.09.2017 09:01 AM

Canada One What?

The big day is just a few days away.  You’d never know that, however.

As noted below, I remember the centennial – I was a kid and living in the United States, for Chrissakes, and I knew all about Expo and Trudeau and everything else that was going on.  It was wonderful.

Same with the millennial celebrations, under Chretien.  They were populist and ubiquitous.  They were fun.

Canada 150?  Forget it. If you live in Ottawa, you’re probably hearing all about it, as usual.  But for those of us living outside the capital – you know, the ones who pay for all those fireworks – nada, basically.

It’s probably too late to do anything now.  The opportunity has passed, and it won’t happen again for another five decades. Most of us will be dead by then.

Also dead? Canada 150.

15 Comments

  1. whyshouldIsellyourwheat says:

    Why would the Trudeau government celebrate Canada?

    They are all a bunch of globalists who are using Ottawa as a stepping stone to global employment at the UN, IMF, World Bank, etc. They reject that Canada has an identity, a nationalism, (albeit a complicated multifaceted one). They basically reject the idea of the nation state, as the best protector of liberty and security and prosperity.

  2. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Ties in rather nicely with my whimper prediction. Benign neglect, when it comes to federal-provincial-territorial relations, will ultimately kill this country.

  3. Howard says:

    It’s weird. I remember the 125th birthday in 1992. I was 12 at the time, but there seemed to be far more hype it than there is now. More ads, events, etc. I admit that until I read this entry, I had forgotten that were only a few weeks away.

    Although it does make some sense. The Trudeau Liberals espouse globalism. Patriotic fervour is to be ridiculed except when used to counter another country (i.e. USA).

  4. Gord says:

    I’m too young for the Centennial, but I do remember Canada 125 (I think I was 12). Zero recall of anything significant about the millennium.

    Canada 125 left us with the legacy of the Trans-Canada Trail. Some municipalities are getting into the Canada 150 spirit, but I agree the feds have been conspicuously absent.

  5. Pipes says:

    A travesty. The government is a great disappointment. JT has his face in too many cameras and should be thinking about the Country not about hair and make up.

  6. Tim says:

    I don’t care. I like Canada and all, but I don’t need a dressed up ceremony to reinforce it or anything. One of the things that makes me patriotic about Canada is our relatively subtle patriotism to our southern neighbors. Let us be patriotic through our policies, leave the silly bling to the Americans.

  7. CanadianKate says:

    Take heart, Warren. The Ontario government had “Give us a place to stand” updated for a new generation.

    https://www.ontario.ca/page/place-stand-ontario-song

    It’s actually no more objectionable than the original, possibly less so. But they’ve scrubbed the original from the internet so for people like me, looking for the music in order to do songs for seniors using a Canada 150 theme, we had to work it out on our own because the original no longer is worthy of official recognition.

  8. Kevin says:

    True. Here in Ottawa there are signs and flags and all sorts everywhere, advertising Canada 150. Net effect, though, is to make the locals mostly avoid downtown and leave it to the tourists. There will be lots of those if hotel bookings are any indication. We’ve got a six-week gap between closing on our old condo and the builders being finished in the new one, and lucked out with an AirBnB – otherwise it would have cost about 14000 bucks to get a place way out by the airport. And that place has probably been picked up by now too.

  9. Bill Templeman says:

    In 1967 we were collectively far more ignorant of our country’s past. And we didn’t have this Internet gizmo to inform us of our dark side. Now we have Gord Downie, The Secret Path, the memory of Chanie Wenjack and the immensity of the residential schools outrage to confront. To say nothing of our unofficial abrogation of too many treaties. The Germans have acknowledged their responsibilities for the Holocaust. The Japanese and the Turks for their respective horrors? Not so much. Canadians? Many across our fair Dominion will be taking a pass on July 1. Too bad. Canada 150 could have been a huge turning point. Instead, apart from a big blow-out on the Hill, it will be a national snore fest. Sorry, no hand over heart at this address.

  10. Ray says:

    I turned one in 1967.
    Dad built me a sleigh with the stylized centennial maple leaf embossed on the bonnet. Don’t remember it, of course, but have a pic of it somewhere. Pretty cool.

    Canada 125/150/175? Meh. Save it.

  11. sean mclaughlin says:

    Dunno about y’all, but I don’t look to the government for advice on how to have fun. Anyone in the Jackson Purchase is welcome to the Canada Day party in my backyard. There will be a fire, beer, and marine speakers blaring the Tragically Hip.

  12. PJH says:

    I remember coins, the dollar bill, all imprinted with the stylized maple leaf……and of course this song……https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj4LZB5oarA It was played to distraction in school……
    Our little community had the stylized maple leaf up as street decorations for what seemed like the whole year(the city fathers were smart, however…..the decorations did yeoman service as they were converted to Christmas trees and were used until just a few years ago).
    Maybe because we were hosting the world exposition, Expo 67, as well as turning one hundred, govt’s made more of a big deal…….I think it was more about the greatest generation showing pride in what Canada had become….the best place on earth to live……
    Warts and all, it still is, but for those who went through the depression and WW II, they believed it with all their hearts……

  13. James Smith says:

    An event like this takes years to plan, & this dud is due to Stephen Harper wanting to do this on the cheep. Just look at the logo that was the result of a colouring contest.

Leave a Reply to Howard Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.