Slaymaker and Nichols' Olympic Circus PEI 2014

Prince Edward Island is celebrating and commemorating the 150th anniversary of Canada's start to Confederation in 1864. The first circus in 20 years was there - here is their advertisement from the newspapers at the time!

Sir John A. Macdonald Library

 Hey, here I (well, my book is) on the John A. Macdonald Library! 

Cool! And wouldn't I love to see their Sir John, Eh? The Road Show
And here's John A. with the book.

"And my blood runs cold." February 1869

Patrick Whelan was hung Feb 11, for the assassination of D'Arcy McGee - but it was pretty questionable whether he was guilty or not. He always maintained his innocence -- when the jury delivered his guilty verdict, he said:
“Now I am held to be a black assassin. And my blood runs cold. But I am innocent. I never took that man’s blood.”

The coverage in the papers was sensational -
"Everything about “the tailor with the red whiskers” was noted by the newspapers. He first appeared in court wearing a small green rosette, a white vest, and garnet cuff links. On the final day, however, he came dressed in black ..."

Apparently 1869 was the snowiest winter on record in Ottawa and on the date of his hanging, a blizzard began that lasted 2 weeks. 5000 people came to watch. It was the last public hanging in Canada.

The Dictionary of Canadian Biography online has more

       Here we are in the 150^th anniversary year of the Confederation talks and the winter weather seems to be lining up anniversary fashion too.