9 minute read
OPINION: Canadian flag
Opinion
Canadian flag’s meaning
Two newspapers in Atlantic Canada printed Canadian flags as a centre spread so that subscribers could pull them out and put them on their windows for Canada Day.
Nice eh?
Well, you’d think so. But nothing these days can be a simple lovely gesture without someone picking it apart and finding fault with it. So the newspapers found it important enough to place trigger-warnings on their front pages so that the image of the Canadian flag didn’t offend someone.
Really?
Canada’s flag was changed in 1965 to the maple leaf for the purpose of inclusion and unity. That’s what the flag represents, and yes it should mean the same to everyone.
But is this what we have become? Are we now a society of victims sniffing around for literally anything that remotely offends us? Must our businesses all placate to this crazed mob of victimhood?
I am proud to be Canadian. I am proud of our ancestors who fought for this country. I am proud of our history of peacekeeping, and our young military personnel who fought for our freedoms and won.
I am proud that our land is populated by both natives and immigrants from other nations who came here to raise their families with the hope of a better life. Their hard work paved the way for our civilization and continues to do so.
I am proud of our flag. To me it means we live in a land of freedom, human rights, and justice for all. No, Canada is not perfect. Neither are the people who live here. Not you, not me, and neither were our ancestors.
Our flag is like our national anthem. I have seen better flags and have heard better anthems. But our maple leaf flag and O’ Canada are ours uniquely. They represent us all as a community of 35 million people of every thinkable ancestry who live mostly in peace and harmony.
In 1965, after nearly a hundred years of using the Canadian Red Ensign as our flag, Prime Minister Pearson fought like mad to bring the new maple leaf design to Canadians.
The year prior, wearing his two WWI medals of honour, PM Pearson gave an impassioned speech in Winnipeg to legion members who fought in two World Wars under the Red Ensign. Pearson talked about pride, patriotism and service to country but also pleaded that Canada needs a flag that is relevant to all Canadians, not just those of British descent.
So to me, this remains the meaning of the maple leaf. Unity, not division. No trigger-warning necessary for this Canadian. Kerry Anderson
COMMENTARY
If we’ve cancelled our history, let’s cancel Canada Day!
BY JOHN MATHER __________________________ __________________________
Happy Canada Day! __________________________ __________________________
While our celebrations are __________________________ __________________________ muted due to the Covid-19 cri__________________________ __________________________ sis this year, I’ll take this time __________________________ to do a quick review of this __________________________ Whaaat? nation’s plentiful and signifi__________________________ There’s nothing there. cant history during its past __________________________ Our history has been killed 153 years. __________________________ off by the politically correct, __________________________ __________________________ the cancel culture, whatever __________________________ __________________________ types of lives matter organiza__________________________ __________________________ tions and any other little splin__________________________ __________________________ ter groups that whine and __________________________ __________________________ protests for changes. And our __________________________ __________________________ weak kneed governments __________________________ __________________________ buckle and go along. __________________________ __________________________ We don’t need the likes of __________________________ __________________________ Sir John A. MacDonald, Frank __________________________ __________________________ Oliver, Dan Knott, Emily __________________________ __________________________ Murphy, Henry Dundas et al! __________________________ __________________________ Happy Canada Day! Why __________________________ __________________________ are we celebrating anyway? __________________________ __________________________ Remember … we don’t like __________________________ __________________________ our history! __________________________ __________________________ If we adopt the new stan__________________________ __________________________ dards we shouldn’t ever have __________________________ __________________________ Canada Day again.
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FROM WHERE I SIT: Stew of Snippets
running and kicking up ready and harvest was patio go in. Or do the scape rocks we stashed want, that saplings turn their heels or nursing at completed. We still have project in two phases: the away during construcinto fifty-footers, that their mothers’ sides. wheat lying in swaths established, no-brainer tion need to come back access for septic tank They’ve lost the gangly, from 2019 on a piece too areas now and the aforeand be positioned. Think cleaning is essential, that unsteady, awkward newwet to work up never mentioned settling, steps tractor, chains, physics bigger lawn mowers born look. They restore mind combine. and patio areas later. principles, and prayer. need more turning my faith in nature’s life Honestly, it makes me I want the two phases We need to continue radius, that we’re not cycle. wonder why anyone option. I think it’s high killing the vegetation we whipper-snipper people. • This year I doubled chooses this lifestyle. time we saw some no longer want so we can All this is complicated by down on my container Isn’t the definition of progress. If ever we had consolidate and shrink the rain, hummingbirdveggie gardening insanity “doing the same the time to devote to the size of multiple sized mosquitos deterbecause saving money, thing over and over and yard work, it’s this lockflowerbeds. We need to mined to eat us alive, avoiding the stores, and expecting different down year. No festival to think about any new and the sad truth that eating the fruits of my results”? Imagine supcoordinate for me; far, far trees and shrubs we each of us would rather own labour seemed pruport groups where one fewer County events and want to plant and how do other things. There I dent in the time of after another, farmers conferences for Roy to we want the yard to said it. Covid. Buying two addistand up and say “My attend. Plus, we still function. Hopefully, I hope this stew proBY HAZEL ANAKA It’s probably high time for a stew of snippets that will never grow into dedicated columns of their own. That is the only thread linking these items. • It’s been years since we sold our herd of cows and I’ve no shortage of memories of how hard, labour-intensive, and maddening being a cattle farmer can be. Keeping fences in good repair, ensuring enough feed 365 days a year, providing bedding and shelter in winter, assisting difficult births, being at the mercy of the markets, vaccinations and treatment of disease are just some. Chasing a wily and determined cow in circles around a bale feeder was always fun; not. Losing an animal to disease, predator, or fate was especially hard on emotions and the bottom line. And yet, when I see calves in a pasture, I feel a pang of nostalgia. There’s nothing much cuter than plump calves tional planters, hundreds of litres of potting soil, and seed packets got me going. Lessons learned last year were implemented as I seeded. Then the rains came. And came and came. Despite having built-in spigots to drain any water saturating the planters, everything looks pretty pathetic at this point. Like any true farmer, I’m not giving up yet but I am concerned about wasting time and money on a losing cause. And that’s a teenyweeny investment of time and money compared to what’s playing out in fields across the province. OMG. Is there any farmer who’s been able to seed all his cultivated acres? Of the seeded acres, how much yield will be lost to rot or disease or getting choked out by weeds because of difficulties spraying or delays in the growth cycle? For the past four or five years many of us got caught when good harvest weather ran out before the crop was name is Whatever and I’m a Farmer.” Heads would nod in support and understanding. Desperate middle of the night calls to a sponsor would happen as the Farmer toyed with the idea of buying a new piece of machinery or breaking up more acreage. Pithy slogans like One Day at a Time, First Things First, Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes, Let Go and Let God, and Progress, Not Perfection would support the twelve steps to recovery. • We had a guy over to offer suggestions and a quote for installing concrete curbing around trees and flowerbeds. At this point in our lives we want an attractive yet pared down look that seriously cuts down on the time and effort required to maintain it. We essentially have two choices. Delay the entire job another year to allow more time for the earth to settle around the foundation, have Roy build the steps, and a new LAMCO GAS CO-OP LTD. 780-895-2244 IMPORTANT CONSTRUCTION NOTICE New Services: Construction Contracts will be accepted until July 31, 2020 Secondary Services: If you require installation or modifications of gas lines to shops, garages, or other buildings, please contact the office by July 31, 2020 2020 Construction cannot be guaranteed after the July 31st deadline! have a great deal of work to do even if the job is broken down into two phases. The huge landwe’ve learned some things. We need to remember to include the sightlines and shade we vided some stick-to-theribs value, from where I sit. Roman Catholic Church Cluster of Parishes of Our Lady of Angels Fort Saskatchewan ~ Roman Catholic Services ~ Lamont Auxiliary Chapel - Saturday Evenings 4:00 pm Our Lady of Good Counsel - Skaro 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays 8:30 am St. Michael the Archangel - St. Michael 2nd and 4th Sundays 8:30 am For further information please call O.L.A. Fort Saskatchewan 780-998-3288 Bethany Lutheran Church 20577 TWP 550 Fort. Sask. (7km East of Josephburg) 780-998-1874 Pastor Rev. Jeff Dul Lamont Alliance Church 44 St. & 50 Ave. 780-895-2879 Sunday Service 10 am WE ARE OPEN! YOU ARE INVITED TO OUR NEXT SUNDAY SERVICE @ 10 AM Please leave message at church for information on any of the above. Check out: www.lamontalliance.com LAMONT UNITED CHURCH 5306 - 51 Ave., Lamont, AB 780-895-2145 Rev. Deborah Brill UNTIL WE CAN WORSHIP TOGETHER IN PERSON , PLEASE JOIN US AT 11:15 SUNDAY MORNINGS ON ZOOM OR FACEBOOK AT ELK ISLAND PASTORAL CHARGE ~ Everyone Welcome!~ AA Meetings Thursdays at 8:00 pm Orthodox V Parishes All services 9:30am, followed by DIVINE LITURGY 10:00 am unless otherwise indicated. JULY SUNDAY JULY 5 ~ PENO Tone 3 - 4th Sun after Pentecost TUESDAY JULY 7 ~ CHIPMAN St. John the Baptist; Feast Day Visit our website: www.orthodox-canada.com Church Calendar Bruderheim Community Church Welcomes You !! SUNDAY WORSHIP continues during Covid-19 through our weekly message on our YouTube channel. Worship Service 11:00 am Sunday School ( during service) Coffee after Service Check us out on Facebook Pastor Wayne Larson 780-796-3775 Located at the corner of the 4 way stop in Bruderheim. admin@bruderheimcommunitychurch.org Church Directory Ad $40/mo. 780-895-2780
