Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Canada's Confederation Caricature

For a light-hearted look at Canada's political past check out the cartoon below - I've put the dialogue below. For a real test, do you know who they all are? (A brief answer at the bottom.)
 

"Confederation! The much-fathered youngster"
 

Caricature:
 (left to right: George Brown, Sir Francis Hincks, William McDougall, Sir John A. Macdonald).
© Public Domain
Source: Library and Archives Canada/C-005812
 
George Brown: "Come to your genewine Poppy!"
 
Francis Hincks: "I'm the Father of Confederation."
 
William McDougall:  "Gracious! Me own child don't know me!!"
 
John A. Macdonald:  "Don't it recognize it's real Daddy?"
 
 
Answers of a sort --- from The Moment of Our Conceptions: Canada and Me by Anne McDonald
 
George Brown (November 29. 1818 Scotland – May 9, 1880 Toronto, Canada)
A man of principles – bigot, racist, political idealist. Founder of the Globe, Canada’s national paper now, married at 44 breathing new life into him, making him less crotchety – died of a wound in his leg he didn’t get looked after gotten in a duel. How crotchety is that?
 
John A Macdonald (January 10, 1815 Scotland – June 6, 1891, Ottawa, Canada)
A man who referred to himself as John A, “the public prefers John A drunk to George Brown sober.”
 
William McDougall (January 25, 1822 York Toronto -- May 29, 1905 Ottawa, Canada) 
Failed lieutenant governor of the North-West Territories, starting off the Red River Rebellion and Resistance with his bounded Boundary Commission, Donald Cameron his right hand man in the deal - married to Emma Tupper the only daughter of Charles Tupper, another Father, but that's a different story.
 
C All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Anne McDonald.


Monday, 1 July 2013

Happy Canada Day from Expo '67, China, Russia and La Ronde

Just like Eatons at Christmas but more than you could ever dream of arriving at La Ronde and coming down the stairs from the mono rail the flags and the smell of cotton candy and candy apples at seven.
 
That's Bryce Mackasey in the middle there gobbling the great looking cake at Canada Day at Expo '67 in Montreal. My mother snuck through the red ropes and caught the picture. Bobby Gimby sang. You know the words - ...
Everybody sing together,
CA-NA-DA...

(One little two little three Canadians)
We love thee
(Now we are twenty million)
CA-NA-DA
(Four little five little six little Provinces)
Proud and free
(Now we are ten and the Territories sea to sea)

(Chorus):
North south east west
There'll be happy times, ...


The Chinese pavilion is a glorious red with gold and we have a Polaroid camera! Borrowed or one of those loans to get you to buy one but we just use it this day and get pictures of red. Of posterity of joy of the thrill of being 7.

1967 International Year in Russia
“Tourism, passport to peace”
 
Intourist invites you to tour the Soviet Union.

“Skipping a trip to the Soviet Union means not seeing one sixth of the Earth, the country of the Great October Socialist Revolution now in its 50th year, and the homeland of the world’s first spaceman, Yuri Gagarin.”

all from Canada and I Come of Age, by Anne McDonald

c All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Anne McDonald.