I have a love/hate relationship with my province at times. Especially on Canada Day. I am blessed (thank you, Mom) to be perfectly bilingual. I like to say I am what P.E. Trudeau wanted our whole country to be…as comfortable in English as I am in French. Plus, look how much my father looked like him at a certain time of his life – in a handsomer way, of course…
I went to both English and French schools so I got different history lessons… History being that “unbiased” retelling of the past… I used to joke that I could not remember which were the “bad” Indians because I got both sides of the English/French history – just so I’m clear… there are NO bad Indians… Who lost in the battle of The Plains of Abraham in Quebec? Well, that depends on which side you were on… I can’t claim one or the other, frankly. The English/French thing has been going on since… I’m a Square Head Frog, or a Bloke Pea Soup…
I get frustrated because St-Jean-Baptiste Day – exactly one week prior, is a Quebec holiday and everything under the sun is closed; come Canada Day, not so much. St-Jean-Baptiste cannot be moved, Canada Day can – I mean for companies giving you the day off… if they fall on a week-day, St-Jean must be taken on that day but Canada Day can be moved to the Friday or Monday, whichever is closer. Banks and such are closed but you may have to work. I don’t agree with this.
My friend Joe shared this beautiful pic on Facebook yesterday, so I snagged it for my post. Our parliament building beautifully lit up. I apologise for not giving credit to the photographer (still waiting for Joe to tell me if he took it or he himself snagged it…)
I love where I live. It’s a beautiful province within a beautiful country. We have wild extremes when it comes to climate, which is normal, considering how vast a territory we have. There are issues, yes. I think pretty much every place has. Here in Quebec the language issues and desire for separation from Canada drive me nuts. The Separatists come and go and each time they try to rally the troops, they fail. (Thank God.) It would break my heart if they ever did succeed. While I don’t want this to be a political post, it kinda sorta is.
It’s Canada Day!
I thought I’d share a few little funnies with you… coz, that’s how I roll.
From 2010… so different Prime Minister but still same old story…
I have been trying, for three days now, to find a text I read a long time ago about a Quebecer on vacation. When asked where he’s from, he says Quebec. The other person says, “Oh, that’s a country?” To which he gets the reply of “no.” So the first guys says, “Then why not say you’re from Canada?” And it goes on and on about trying to explain that the Quebecers like to call Quebec a Nation because they are distinct. Sadly, I cannot find it to save my life.
And this little spoof from “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” from 2014 – shows how this separation issue goes on and on…
And, of course, as many of you are Americans… must have a little funny between the ‘twixt of us… ‘coz ya know, we really do love you guys and we do share the longest undefended border…
So to all my Canadian peeps, I say: Happy Canada Day, eh!
And, let’s take Rick Mercer’s advice… Go out there and visit this beautiful country!
Oh! How could I forget to add this!!
