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    True North, strong and free: a quiz

    By acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:53pm | Sports, Potpourri, World Affairs

    Happy Canada Day, everyone. Snap quiz, if you're up to it:
    1. Exactly what are we celebrating the anniversary of?
    2. Who gets top billing as "Father of Confederation?"
    3. Name one other.
    4. Where exactly is the Canada-U.S. border (I mean the long straight part)?
    5. Why did Canadians decide they wanted a country anyway?
    6. What's the national anthem? Fairly easy one.
    7. What's the flag? Ditto.
    8. What's the national sport? What, another gimme?
    9. How many provinces are there? Territories?
    10. Aside from free-trade squabbles, what's our biggest looming dispute with the U.S.?

    Topics: 
    Sports
    Potpourri
    World Affairs

    Comments

    1. Exactly what are we celebrating the anniversary of?
    The official union of three British North American colonies on July 1, 1867. The provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick united as the self-governing "Dominion of Canada" -- a term they coined because the British balked at "Kingdom of Canada." The province of Canada was split into its original components (Ontario and Quebec) and other provinces joined up or were created later. Newfoundland, which was initially invited in, held out until 1949.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:54pm

    2. Who gets top billing as "Father of Confederation?"
    That would be Sir John A. Macdonald, the country's first prime minister. Reportedly a great orator -- especially when drunk, as he often was. Master politician and coalition-builder, he outmaneuvered provincial leaders who opposed a strong central government. Despite the name, Canada is a federal state, not a "confederation." Sir John A. had a delightfully spirited wife, who years later accompanied him west on the inaugural run of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Traveling through the Rockies, intent on getting the best possible view, she insisted on riding lashed to the cowcatcher.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:55pm

    3. Name one other "Father of Confederation."
    There were at least three dozen; Brown, Tupper and Cartier are among the best-known.

    My favorite is Thomas D'Arcy McGee. An Irish-born foe of the British Empire, by 1867 he had come around to strongly supporting a Canada united under the crown. He was gunned down in Ottawa by a Fenian (Irish nationalist) a year after confederation. Then there's Louis Riel, who led Manitoba's Metis (mixed-race) inhabitants in demanding recognition. When provincial status proved a bit of a letdown, he led a second bloody revolt, for which he was hanged. Another colorful "Father" would be Amor de Cosmos, who led British Columbia into Canada; he later went insane. Known as "the last Father of Confederation" long-time Newfoundland premier Joey Smallwood cajoled and bribed his fiercely independent islanders into joining Canada in 1949. (Many lists, by the way, exclude Riel, Cosmos, and even Smallwood.)


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:56pm

    4. Where exactly is the Canada-U.S. border (I mean the long straight part)?
    The 49th parallel. It was fixed by the Oregon Treaty between Britain and the U.S. in the 1840s, when "Manifest Destiny" fans were arguing "Fifty-four forty or fight!" A glance at a map shows how preposterous a claim that was.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:57pm

    5. Why did Canadians decide they wanted a country anyway?
    Security and expanded trade. The U.S. Civil War ended with a lot of weaponry in civilian hands, and "demobbed" Fenians (as mentioned above) were staging cross-border raids in support of an independent Ireland. Sir John A.'s biggest selling point was the promise of rail lines and ferries linking all the new provinces. Oh, and he also agreed the central government would absorb provincial debts.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:58pm

    6. What's the national anthem? Fairly easy one.
    O Canada. The music was written in 1880 by Calixa Lavallee -- not for Canada Day, but for St. Jean Baptiste Day, French Canada's national holiday that occurs a week earlier. The words of the French version are entirely different from the English one, written decades later. It took Parliament a full century to proclaim it as the national anthem, supplanting The Maple Leaf Forever. When sung, it's traditional to alternate French and English verses.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 7:59pm

    7. What's the flag? Ditto.
    Red maple leaf on a white square between two red bars. The bars are half as wide as the square, so the overall dimensions are 2:1. Adopted over heated objections by conservatives in 1965, it replaced the Red Ensign.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 8:00pm

    8. What's the national sport? What, another gimme?
    Trick question. Hockey is, of course, the country's official winter sport. But the law making it so was passed only in 1994, and at the same time lacrosse was designated the official summer sport. Ignore the fact the NHL playoffs drag on into June.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 8:01pm

    9. How many provinces are there? Territories?
    Ten and three. The newest territory, Nunavut, split off from the Northwest Territories in 1999. It retained one admirable N.W.T. tradition: territorial candidates run as individuals; there are no political parties. The legislature then elects a premier from among its members. Classy.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 8:02pm

    10. Aside from free-trade squabbles, what's our biggest looming dispute with the U.S.?
    The Northwest Passage. Now that it's increasingly free of ice, Canada's claim that it is within its territorial waters becomes important, even if only to prevent another Exxon Valdez. Apparently unable to read maps, the State Department insists it's an international waterway. Very shortsighted, as you'll see when the North Koreans and Iranians send their powerful fleets through.


    by acanuck on Wed, 07/01/2009 - 8:03pm

    Happy Canada Day! In light of this special day, I will be nice to Canadians all day long. Here it goes. Ahem. American claims that the Northwest Passage goes through international waters are absurd.

    OK, that's enough for this year. Fortunately, Canada Day ended an hour and a half ago. Except in BC. And maybe Alberta. But you western provinces shouldn't get too comfortable. Your time is coming.


    by Michael Wolraich on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 1:36am

    Since I posted so late yesterday, you should really give us a full 24 hours' respite. But your kind and surprisingly sensible words about the passage are appreciated.

    It's a no-brainer that somebody has to have authority over the route, since its safe regular use will require new weather stations, search-and-rescue bases, and a conveniently positioned icebreaker or two. (Not every year is going to be equally ice-free.) Canada's the only country in position to provide that infrastructure. It also has a major environmental interest in keeping out leaky rustbuckets, which will gravitate north in order to save thousands of kilometres' worth of fuel.

    Only the U.S. (with some EU support) seriously disputes Canada's territorial claim. Russia apparently backs us, and the Law of the Sea looks to be on our side.


    by acanuck on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 3:07pm

    OK, fun's over. It's Canada-related-music time. Giddy up.




    Does the French always come first? And what's with the statue of liberty at the beginning? Did they use NYC clip art?


    by Michael Wolraich on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 4:17pm

    What a terrible rendition! Thanks for reminding me to hate Celine Dion more than I already did.

    Somebody mashed up this home video to go with the audio, and I guess missed the statue. Or left it in for satiric effect.

    Where I live, the French usually comes first, but that may well vary across the country. There's no rule against singing a unilingual version, but that pretty well guarantees someone will take offence.


    by acanuck on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 8:34pm

    Is there a good rendition? National anthems inherently suck. They're only worth listening to when joyfully ripped from their devotional contexts, as in Hendrix's star-spangled-banner or the the Sex Pistol's god-save-the-queen.


    by Michael Wolraich on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:41pm

    The late great Roger Doucet opened every Canadiens hockey for at least a decade with his direct, moving O Canada. No extraneous bells and whistles.

    I just Wikied him, and learned that his modified lyrics to the Soviet anthem were so good, the Russians adopted them. Here's his O Canada, if I can make it work:


    by acanuck on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 3:29pm

    Happy Canada Day!  Voici un peu de vraie Canadiana:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfLyQftk1GQ

    "The Hockey Sweater", aka "Un abominable feuille d'érable sur la glace"

    If you're Canadian and over 30, this'll bring you back to middle school for sure ...


    by scofflaw on Sat, 07/04/2009 - 12:05am

    Here's a better copy: http://www.nfb.ca/film/sweater/


    by scofflaw on Sat, 07/04/2009 - 12:07am