Canadians don't go in for American style flag waving. We don't go around telling people that we live in the greatest country in the world, although it's true, or that if they don't like it, they should get the hell out. Our leaders don't stand on the deck of aircraft carriers in camouflage saying things like "Bring it on" in bad Texas accents. No, we're a milder, gentler nation of people who take pride in hockey, complain about the weather, and silently wonder why our dollar is not as strong as our neighbour's to the south even though our economy is in better shape.
All that changes on one day of the year. That day is Canada Day, baby. July 1. Flag day. That is when the patriotic beast in Canadians emerges. People take to the streets with the maple leaf flag painted on their faces, they wave flags, they fly flags, and they drink copious amounts of beer, Canadian beer. And they yell "Go, Canada" even in places like Montreal, which is where I've celebrated some of my best Canada Days. Two years ago my sister and I were hanging out the window of our low-rent highrise hotel in downtown Montreal hooting and hollering at the incredible fireworks. We had an unobstructed view and a whole lot of wine at our disposal. I might have even yelled "yeehaw" at one point, betraying my Alberta roots, but I just can't remember.
Canada Day used to be called Dominion Day and was invented to honour the joining of four provinces on July 1, 1867. It wasn't even celebrated until the 1950s when it included all 10 provinces and two territories. But history isn't the most important thing about the day. The spirit of the day is what counts, and that spirit of the true north strong and free runs quiet but deep.
I have travelled to more than 50 countries and yet there is nothing quite like coming home, even in sub-zero weather. I know I'm back where I belong when:
1. I turn on the radio and the CBC comes on. Those voices represent my country in all its irritating nitpicking, navel-gazing glory.
2. When I hear people say "eh" and it sounds good to me instead of a stupid joke that people make about Canadians.
3. When the vastness of the land and its incredible beauty and diversity make my eyes well with tears. Margaret Atwood, another Canadian, wrote (I'm paraphrasing) that Canadians are defined by their geography and that all Canadian writers are of necessity concerned with geology and geography. She is right.
4. When I realize that despite all the problems Candaa has that I've never met anyone, born here or otherwise, who doesn't feel proud to live in a country that is respected internationally for all the right things. Hey, Americans sew maple leafs on their backpacks for a reason.
5. When I hear O' Canada sung I just can't help it. I always get a lump in my throat and I feel so damn proud and lucky to live here and to have the privilege of being a Canadian.
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Français:
Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
But time has no beginnings and histry has no bounds
As to this verdant country they came from all around
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
And they built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all
And when the young man's fancy was turnin' to the spring
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day
And many a fortune lost and won and many a debt to pay
For they looked in the future and what did they see
They saw an iron road runnin from sea to the sea
Bringin the goods to a young growin' land
All up through the seaports and into their hands
Look away said they across this mighty land
From the eastern shore to the western strand
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open er heart let the life blood flow
Gotta get on our way cause were movin too slow
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
Were gonna lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open er heart let the life blood flow
Gotta get on our way cause were movin too slow
Get on our way cause were movin too slow
Behind the blue rockies the sun is declinin'
The stars, they come stealin' at the close of the day
Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin our hammers in the bright blazin sun
Livin on stew and drinkin bad whiskey
Bendin' our old backs til the long days are done
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin our hammers in the bright blazin sun
Layin down track and buildin the bridges
Bendin our old backs til the railroad is done
So over the mountains and over the plains
Into the muskeg and into the rain
Up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe
Swingin our hammers and drawin our pay
Drivin em in and tyin em down
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
A dollar a day and a place for my head
A drink to the livin' and a toast to the dead
Oh the song of the future has been sung
All the battles have been won
Oer the mountain tops we stand
All the world at our command
We have opened up the soil
With our teardrops and our toil
For there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
And many are the dead men too silent to be real
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old new lefty
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Comments
I guess that bshows the measure of the post. Well done, O Canada.
But Flag Day huh? I KNEW you all had to get the ya yas out every now and then:P
BBE is a vile and worthless bully creature! I shall not stand for this! I shall start a crusade, I shall!
You poor, poor Emma. I love you even if BBE doesn't. Happy Canada Day!
And kudos to a country whose women stand on ice flows donning bikinis. Happy Canada Day.
BBE, I downloaded them to my desktop and then uploaded them. Isn't that the usual way?
Secretly, I suspect he liked Canada, but he had bad memories. Growing up in Regina Saskatchewan during the depression with an angry, alcoholic father apparently wasn't a piece of cake. And then getting drafted into the Canadian army didn't seem to agree with him. His first marriage - wife died of cancer, leaving him with two young kids.
So, I think for him, relocating to the Seattle area was just leaving a lot of bad memories behind.
But he must have represented it well enough because I grew up thinking of Canada as a more sane and well-adjusted version of the U.S.
Happy Canada Day!
Rated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0jhJA1Hjxk
Happy Canada Day!
I'm getting that out of my system now, because the freedom to flag wave in Montreal really does depend on which side of the city you live on. You won't be seeing too many Canadian flags in my East End 'hood. Though to be honest, there weren't as many Quebec flags as usual. Quebec has it's "national" holiday on June 24. And because it just seems wrong to make people disrupt two work weeks with back to back Wednesday holidays, we've decided to pretty much take the whole two weeks off.
Which, coincides (not coincidentaly) with the two week long International Jazz festival.
In the rest of North America people celebrate citizenship. In Montreal, mostly, we celebrate drinking and having as many holidays as can reasonably be fit into one summer.
It is nice to see so many Canadians here on OS. You're all a great advertisement for the education system up there.
I'm going to have a teensy grumble about this version of the national anthem, though. When they were updating the English words, they could well have done a little more.
For example:
"True patriot love, in all OF US command"
I'm not a serious proponent of either patriotism or being commanded, but dang, how about us daughters? We could be a little more inclusive without resorting to silliness in the wording.
I would also personally remove god from the chorus, & in fact I sing an extra "Oh Canada" there, but that's my choice.
Gord Lightfoot's song cannot be improved in the slightest, though, & I agree with everything about it.
Go us, eh?!
Wish I could visit Queen's Park and get a 25c hotdog!
Canada isn't the Promised Land, but it's pretty damn close. I've got to dash off to the airport to pick up my hubby, but I'm going to respond to comments when I return.
As everyone will be distracted tomorrow, I think it will be a good time to commence the attack! We's gonna' get us a big honkin' new state!
I'll likely be up at the sunrise ceremony on Signal Hill for cake and singing, but I'll stop by the War Memorial on my way home afterwards.
And Montreal has the best fireworks in July.
Your wonderful country stands as an example of a health cares system that works, a prolific producer of very talented artists and performers, a country of impressive natural beauty, and a distinctive absence of war mongering but an impressive bravery in joining in to assist with the conflicts begun by others.
Your country has made mistakes in the past, like so many others the native peoples were abused, persecuted, and often slaughtered. Other mistakes were made too, often in partnership with religious zealots who's fervent love of God curiously transformed into unspeakable cruelty.
Times have changed. About the only thing I can think of to bitch about Canada is the seal thing. There's something about an infant seal having his skull bashed in on the snow covered ice that seems unnecessary to me in this day and age no one I know wears sealskin anything. Subsistence by native peoples is one thing, but selling the fur to Euro trash, yuck.
So happy Canada Day! Hope this means an extra long weekend for everyone!
There is a feeling I get from watching Canadian movies and reading Canadian authors that they are not as concerned with what they have as much as what they are doing or who they are with. There is a distinct, sort of bare bones feeling I get from reading Carol Shields and Alice Munro. Another Canadian on OS recommended another author to me (I've read all of Margaret Atwood), I'll have to go back and check. Thanks for the pictures and the poetry!
And she said, are you from Canada? Because you just said eh.
Turns out she was the one from Canada, Toronto to be specific. I'm like, uh this is serious role reversal here. I say "eh" and a Canadian's busting my chops about -- or should I say aboot -- it?
Seriously, I like Canada. Enjoy your day, eh?
Atwood lives downtown Toronto--I don't even think you can see "geography" from downtown Toronto. And I'm not sure where exactly her loyalties lie: in "Surfacing"--her supposed most nationalist and anti-American work--other than the main protagonist (a literate, isolated Atwood type), the Cdns in it come out seeming worse (or at least more pathetic) than the boarish Americans do. And I remember in her earlier work, at least, rural types seemed oppressive morons. And if you don't like primitive rural types, shaped by whatever river or mountain or prairie that happens to be nearby, I didn't think you were allowed to be Cdn. (Emma Peel hardly seems blue-grass. You sure you weren't shaped more by British wit than by prairie gophers?)
Also, all you people readily favoring literate Cdns, check out book writing Rick Mercer's show-biz history: had a show where all he was concerned to do was show stupid you all are. We're assassins, you Yankies (I'm dual--favoring my American side). Be careful when you open your arms to us (as you fools are want to do)--we'll be tempted by your exposed vitals . . .
Falling at our feet with praise on your lips, might placate our urges for awhile, though.
And I love Canada. I often wish I was Canadian. You guys seem to have your heads screwed on a bit better than those of us south of that really long border. I've always thought Canadians were just a decent folk. Not to mention, you're the best neighbors a country could have.
So, I'll raise you a pint and sing O Canada right along with you.
AshKW: I hadn't heard about the kerfuffle. I was looking for a hot guy wearing the maple leaf but didn't find one. I believe in equal opportunity sexism.
fins2theleft: Saskatchewan was the hardest hit by the drought anywhere. And the poorest. I wrote a post about my father's family and their experience living through it. http://open.salon.com/blog/emma_peel/2008/12/26/hard_times_not_so_much
stim: Canucks are tough and used to the cold. Way too used to the cold.
Juliet: It's true what you say about Montreal/Quebec being party places. You get more days off than anyone else in the country. East-end Montreal may not celebrate Canada Day too much, but downtown sure rocks out.
Happy Canada day!
Juliet: "In the rest of North America people celebrate citizenship. In Montreal, mostly, we celebrate drinking and having as many holidays as can reasonably be fit into one summer."
Sounds like Montreal gets it right! ;)
I wish my Dad would have talked about his upbringing more, but generally he'd repeat the same jokes and anecdotes over and over and didn't seem to want to remember any more than that.
But reading about the folks in your post reminded me alot of my parents. My mom, 83 now, still won't throw anything out. she keeps jars and plastic lids forever, reuses plastic wrap enough time to gross people out and can't bear to throw out even the last bite of food.
Once when I found myself - not of my own free will, per se - in Minot, ND in December I pondered my Dad's growing up a few hundred miles north. It's no wonder that my mom is reduced to muttering when my kids bring home yet another "Webkins" toy - only to lose interest in it almost immediately.
Canadians don't go in for American style flag waving. We don't go around telling people that we live in the greatest country in the world, although it's true, or that if they don't like it, they should get the hell out. Our leaders don't stand on the deck of aircraft carriers in camouflage saying things like "Bring it on" in bad Texas accents.
This paragraph provoked a broad, involuntary smile. Perfect. Patriotism done right, and focused on two days a year (including la Saint-Jean in Québec), without being overdone or having flags everywhere and on everything for the other 363.
@bstrangely: thanks for posting the CBC TV sign-off video, which is, for my money, the most moving of all O Canada tributes. Gets me every time.
The old sign-off for Radio-Canada TV (French-language equivalent of CBC), with the animated coast-to-coast bird's-eye view, may be tied for first place. (Be patient. The animation starts at about 2'20" into the clip.)
Patriotic tributes without scenes of war or symbols of militarism. Someday this may be the rule rather than the exception.
Entéka, thank you for this beautifully done Canada Day post, from a dual (Canada-U.S.) national who, if he had to give up one of his citizenships, would not exactly be wracked with indecision. (Cheney-Bush made that possible in a way Harper is powerless to do.)
An almost belated HAPPY CANADA DAY!
You really nailed it, I love being a Canuck even though I live in Brazil, coming home to Canada each summer is like dream for me. I've avoided the winters for over 20 years, although it's nice to occasionally visit the great white north for a week or two of skiing but it's always so nice to smell the air in Vancouver and know I'm home again.
I remeber hearing the Oilers' fans on the radio singing O Canada live at that game and I burst into tears of national pride.
Happy belated Canada Day!
Canada Day sounds like an absolute blast.
I mean, be proud and all, but maybe bring out its bizarre aspects more that would, you know, make it unappealing and only celebrate the cool stuff quietly, Canadianly, so the worst of your southern neighbors will continue to forget you're even there. Praise be "Sicko" already made them think you're weird!
And if you have Neil's "Heart of Gold" and can at all relate to k.d.'s "Constant Craving," please, baby, please do your part to help make being an American queer reason enough to be granted political asylum. My daughter wants to bring back the mullet, but I promise I will teach her it's more politically correctly called hockey hair. O Happy Day!
Additionally, as a born-and-bred American, can I simply suggest that Scott go back to his own blog and rant there? Geez, fella, what the hell is your problem anyway? This weekend, thousands of posts go up on Open Salon celebrating July 4th, last week it was all how MJ was such a great guy and all you have to bitch about is our friends from Canada enjoying THEIR day?
Thumbed.
@Scott: This post was to celebrate my country on its national holiday and to provide a little insight from my perspective about the experience of being Canadian. It was not a debate about the respective merits of the U.S. and Canada other than a joking introduction. I don't think I'm the one who lacks a sense of humour here, and I'm not a hater. I think you have that covered on this and other subjects.
One of the things that irks Canadians -- in general -- the most about SOME Americans is a tendency to take credit for everything. Among other contentious issues, here's a newsflash: the U.S. did not win the Second World War singlehandedly.
Since you apparently have no use for me, don't bother to post on my blog again and we'll call it a draw. Thank you.