Happy Canada Day

Willhound

To our fellow Canadians and friends all over the world, Happy Canada Day!

halifax212

Happy Canada Day @Willhound   I may be splashing my boat for the first time this morning before the thunderstorms roll in by 1:00.  Slow start this year for this guy.

Aqua_Aura

I hear I can soon enter your country 😃. We have a ferry in Port Angeles WA that goes to Victoria and it has been shutdown for over a year 🙁. 

Willhound

Aqua_Aura said:

I hear I can soon enter your country 😃. We have a ferry in Port Angeles WA that goes to Victoria and it has been shutdown for over a year 🙁. 

Maybe. We'd love to have you. Earliest opening for non-essential travel is July 21st, but no word yet as to what form that will take. Current rumour is that there will still be a 14 day quarantine requirement on arrival but that you will be able to "apply" for an exemption if fully vaccinated. There was supposed to be an update last week but our namby-pamby Prime Minister keeps pushing off making a decision. I would bet that for all but long term stays, day visits may be impractical until Fall. Some of our own inter-Provincial borders are only now just re-opening. Had to laugh at the two US Senators last week (NY and Montana) that tried to introduce a bill to force the border to re-open....but was shot down when someone pointed out that it would only allow one way traffic into the U.S., and anyone crossing from Canada would not be allowed back, and if they were, would be subject to mandatory 14 day quarantine, so what's the point....

Aqua_Aura

It has been many years since I have been to Canada and I look forward to going there. We used to go there often when I flew charter mostly to Winnipeg but I did spend a few days in Toronto with my wife since she was there on a trip with the owner of her aircraft, other than that most of our time is on the west of Canada. Lots of good memories all over the country with her and I visiting there. One of our first trips together as a flight crew was Vancouver BC which was nice and relaxing and I remember going to White Spot for breakfast, it was like Denny's but the food was good. 

Squatch68

Happy Canada Day to you as well!

Handymans342

What is Canada Day? 

Willhound

Handymans342 said:

What is Canada Day? 

Like your July 4th. Birth of our country. But a little more understated. Just like most Canadians. Unless full of good Canadian Rye Whiskey!😁

rasbury

There was no war of independence? 

GMSLITHO

will who is this in Canada , Romana Didulo,

GMSLITHO

There tearing down the statues in Toronto now it looks crazy there .......almost like here 

YYZRC

PickleRick

I thought Canada day calibrated the establishment of organized hockey.  😝😝😝

So i don't offend anyone, hockey is my favorite sport.

Willhound

rasbury said:

There was no war of independence? 

Nope. There was a war between Britain and France in the late 1700's, both who had territories in what would become Canada. The Brit's prevailed at the Plains of Abraham and eventually a treaty was signed. As a result a number of French families were kicked off their land in Quebec and Eastern Canada and migrated south to what is now Louisiana. Just after that, some yahoos to the south of us thought it would be a good idea to try and take over some territory and kick out the British subjects that inhabited the land, however they quickly found that difficult and we even managed to sneak down into Washington and burn down the White House that existed at the time in August 1814. Treaties were signed to end the conflict. The British were considered to have won the war...unless you took American history, in which case, it was all fake news and didn't really happen...Canada was formed as a Federation of the eastern part of the country by an act of "Confederation" in 1867 and became our own country but remained a member of the British Empire. It's complicated...
When the US again started making noise about taking over territory in the west it was decided to build a railway across the country to tie it all together and the western provinces came on board to set the border at the 49th parallel in 1871. Newfoundland was the last to join in 1949. Up to then they were still a British Colony.
Finally in 1982 we "Patriated our constitution" that effectively cut ties with the British Monarchy in all but a very symbolic basis. The Queen still appears on some of our money, and is a symbolic head of state, but has no say in the running of our country although our parliament is run on the historical British layout. 
So our history is typically Canadian. Try to make friends, fight when you have to, but shake hands afterwards and remain friends, and just be nice! But if someone pi$$e$ you off...burn their house down.

randy56

Great  story, I guess that is why Quebec is still speaking French today. When I was there a few years back. There were some that did not speak English. Or acted like they didn't. Rude bunch. 

TonyG13

randy56 said:

Great  story, I guess that is why Quebec is still speaking French today. When I was there a few years back. There were some that did not speak English. Or acted like they didn't. Rude bunch. 

Funny! When we went to Montreal, they would always speak French until they found out we were from the United States, then they'd talk to us in English. And some told us, they will not speak English to their fellow Canadians.

Finally realized if I walked into a place and just said, "Hi! We're stupid Americans!" -- they'd laugh and speak English right away.

rasbury

Interesting...my history is very weak...so is that why so many French are in Louisiana  or was that a combo of when the French held Louisiana?

Willhound

Both @rasbury. The US didn't acquire Louisiana (and much of the mid-west) until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. So was still a colony of France when they left Canada in the 1790's. Many had family ties and being Roman Catholic there were church ties also.
As to the issue of Quebecer's not speaking English, usually not an issue in tourist areas, more of a problem in rural areas. And yes, there is a certain expectation that Canadians should at least try to speak French, but I can tell you from my own experience that once they hear my horrible attempt to speak French they will easily switch to English. They at least appreciate if you try a few words anyway. Much like going to any other area where English isn't the first language it's always a good idea to at least learn some simple greetings. My Spanish is worse than my French but when visiting Cuba and Mexico a few words in Spanish go a long way.

rasbury

Neat...I lived right at the border in north Dakota...we made a little venture north but would have liked to have explored more...

randy56

Was speaking French today as smashed finger working on boat. Good history lesson.

PickleRick

Do the French get pi$$ed at you for speaking Quebec accent/slang french to them the way the Spanish get pi$$ed when i speak Mexican slang Spanish to them?  

Willhound

French slang/ Canadian French is called Joyal. The french from France laugh at it. It is definitely a mix. And when a mix of French and English we call it Franglais.

PickleRick

Fun fact, the French hugenots first settled south carolina near Charleston.  

This settlement was a bust.  Im pretty sure the puritan/conservative living of the English colonists surrounding them at that time (mid/late 1600s)  didn't jive with the French settlers.  


They then skipped town and settled in Louisiana. So when the Saints came marching in, it took a while to find a place that felt like home.

Many of their churches and architecture that wasn't destroyed by the revolutionary or civil wars or hurricanes still stand today.  

The grave yard on the lake we hang out on has war of 1812 and civil war graves as well as many unmarked graves historians have yet to identify. They are likely share cropers, children(lots of tuberculosis deaths back 100 years ago here) or possibly slaves.


The  grave yard on the top of the island was hard to access last year due to a tornado taking down trees.  The groups that maintain that island and many other small family grave yards like it dating back to pre 1800s are all volunteer groups.  They were called the sons and daughters of confederate soldiers.  They are descendants of those burried there.  Facebook has labeled their groups hate groups and banned them.  Talking to a local DNR officer who knows one of groups who used to keep the trails and graves clear said they are afraid to preserve such sites now as they are afraid of threats of protests and all the personal/financial issues that can come along with the protests.  

It's kind of a shame that my son may not be able to show his kids those graves one day as they will be claimed quickly by the forests.  Its a part of history that is easily forgotten and much like the war of 1812 has been watered down and washed from school history books.





 

halifax212

So when the French Acadians were kicked out of Nova Scotia they ended up in Louisiana. The word Cajun is what  Acadian ended up being called. Cajun=Acadian