Are the Albertan fires at least coming under control?
And for a happier note, I hope - is anyone going to see anything of the royal visit?
I beleive they are. Pretty sure I saw a note on the news one morning this week saying there weren’t any out of control fires.
I probably won’t see any Royals. I admit I was tempted to brave the Stampede parade for a look, but then I remembered it would be a total gong show. So I’ll watch on tv. (I have an almost-2 year old boy, and an almost-5 year old girl, and a terrible allergy to horses. I don’t think it would work)
My mom MAY be dancing for them - in that she is dancing on the Parade route, and they will be on the parade route.
Happy Canada Day long weekend everyone!
The list of Appointments to the Order of Canada for 2011 is up. It’s always fun to see some people getting some recognition for their accomplishments.
Eugene Levy? Stan Shmenge and Earl Camembert (among others) from SCTV; and Gerry Fleck (he of the two left feet) from “Best in Show”? That Eugene Levy?
Wow! Way to go, Eugene!
That one surprised me too! Though I’m very happy that Hayley Wickenheiser received one as well.
Happy Canada day tout le monde.
Lorna Crozier is someone whose poetry I’ve followed and failed to imitate for years. Bob McDonald, from CBC’s “Quirks and Quarks”, was another one who caught my eye.
Happy Canada Day to one and all! 144 years of a noble dream.
Hey, may I suggest a fun Canada Day game stolen from FaceBook? Name the year and place that your earliest ancestor came to Canada.
1828, Huntingdon, Québec.
Any one else?
I know our first ancestors in North America on my mom’s side arrived in Massachusetts or thereabouts in the mid-late 1600s, but that’s it. Don’t know when they came north to Canada.
So, what do all y’all think of the Will and Kate protests in Quebec?
I have, as far as I know, no ancestors from Canada. But, I strongly suspect I will have descendents in Canada, assuming my daughter stays up there, as it looks like she will.
Shrug. I don’t really care - as long as a protest is peaceful, then people have the right to do so. There’s no reason anyone should hide their opinion on any issue just because others don’t like to hear it.
I personally don’t give a crap about the Royal Couple, the monarchy or any of that - I don’t really care either way about abolishing the monarchy (the time and cost to get rid of them is probably about the same as the time and cost put into keeping them around, though I admit I haven’t looked into it), but I don’t understand nor care for the worship of these people. I don’t see why they should matter more to me than anyone else I may or may not ever meet. I don’t care where they visit and why, and I don’t actually know the Canadian cost of this trip, but I suppose it could be better spent elsewhere, like many other things can be better spent elsewhere.
Me. 1968. Toronto International airport.
I feel about the same, but I know that all the hotels were filled here in Ottawa. No doubt the restaurants and other local attractions made tonnes of money too. So, it’s not all a money loss.
I feel the same about any celebrity really. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go catch a glimpse of anyone. What’s the point?
October 6, 1928. Quebec City. I found the landing records of my grandparents on my mother’s side. Don’t know about my father’s side. Yet. 
I feel a mild interest in Bill and Kathy, but I totally see where the protestors are coming from.
I’m a mild monarchist, in that I think the separation of ceremonial and executive duties–head of state and head of government–is a good thing. But if we replaced it with something else, I would not miss the existing monarchy a lot. My ancestors are from England, and when I went over there, I realized how different it was and how much we’d diverged (my family in only two generations).
I’m coming to think that we should replace it with something truly Canadian.
Don Cherry!
I said “monarchy”, not “demagoguery”. Emotions make bad public policy. (Just ask any Torontonian these days.)
Where’s the vomit smiley when you need it. I’m mostly indifferent to the Royal family. I loathe Cherry!
Unrelated to much of anything, it’s hot and humid here and my cat is sleeping stretched out against the wall in a shady area (I guess it’s cool there?) and I guess she’s dreaming because she keeps sticking out her tongue/licking the wall and her back paws keep twitching. Very cute.
If we’re going to install a hockey icon in Rideau Hall it had better be the Great One.