An unfinished country (Canada)

National Post - Canada ^ | Wednesday, June 27, 2007 | Barbara Kay

[GMMAC]

An unfinished country

Barbara Kay, National Post
Published: Wednesday, June 27, 2007

The silly name for our national holiday, "Canada Day" (imagine "Italy Day" or "U.S.A. Day") always makes me flinch. It has done so since 1982 when Dominion Day, a perfectly appropriate name for a big, beautiful country like ours, was voted into the oubliette of history after five minutes' debate without a parliamentary quorum present. "Dominion" happens not to refer to the British empire, as assumed by the bill's presenting MP, but to the 72nd Psalm: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea ?" But appearance is all, in matters multicultural.

In his new book The Unfinished Canadian, Ottawa journalist, professor and prolific author Andrew Cohen crisply defines this insulting act of historical theft and its replacement (he describes Canada Day as a name of "crushing banality") as "a renunciation of the past, a misreading of history, laden with political correctness and historical ignorance." Hear, hear.

Indignation over heritage vandalism in general sits well on Cohen, a spirited champion of all that is good in the national character, and an unapologetic scold about all that is ? less good. A writer whose discursive, often breezy prose tends to mask his erudition, Cohen displays a keen eye in The Unfinished Canadian for the ideal hierarchy of civic values a citizen of any healthy country should cherish, highlighted with symbolic gestures -- like the Canada Day fiasco -- that reveal our carelessness about embracing them. He neatly closes the loop with an unapologetically prescriptive "finishing" program for achieving national maturity.

Politically I'm not always on the same page or even in the same chapter as Andrew Cohen, but his analysis of our cultural deficits and the national character quirks they spring from -- tall poppy syndrome, the obsession with presenting as better than Americans, the default sacrifice of elite standards to egalitarian mediocrity ("Ottawa is the standing-ovation capital of the world") and the deference to victim narratives behind our reticence to serve the national interest --are spot on, and backed up by compelling evidence.

CREDIT: Julie Oliver, CanWest News Service
Author Andrew Cohen says that our national capital is marked
by provincialism and the indistinction of its architecture.

Ottawans were angered by Cohen's merciless street-by-street attack on the city's provincialism, pettiness and indistinction of its architecture, monuments and symbolic placement. Why, he asks for example, do the embassies of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, no particular friends to Canada, claim two prime spots on the ceremonial mile? Why can't Ottawa's central library raise more than $40,000 in its annual fundraiser in one of Canada's wealthiest cities? Good questions, and a host of others equally embarrassing, as they should be, to all Canadians.

I particularly liked Cohen's ratiocinative deconstruction of the intellectual frivolity and multicultural sycophancy at the heart of Canadians' facile acceptance of the virtually unaccredited and ideologically ambiguous Michaelle Jean for G-G, on the one hand, and on the other the public pillorying of the much worthier, but --alas for her --nationally aspirational Adrienne Clarkson.

I'm on board for all of Cohen's prescriptions for a healthier and stronger nation, amongst which: - As "a nation of amnesiacs" we must rediscover our past through civics courses and ramped-up history programs for students; - Create a National Trust to preserve our landmarks of cultural significance; - Ditch Victoria Day and institute Vimy Day, April 12, to commemorate our 3,598 dead at Vimy Ridge as a pledge of our intention to begin celebrating real heroism; - "Canada is blessed to have America as a neighbour." Indeed. Enough with reflexive anti-Americanism; Beef up our citizenship requirements and its oath. Less emphasis on rights, more on responsibilities. It's time for the Hotel Canada to go condo; - Institute mandatory public service, either military or otherwise; - Bring back Dominion Day; - Make Ottawa a real capital city -- i.e., lend pride and vision to its public spaces, official residences and monuments.

One quibble: I do take issue with Cohen's unnuanced assessment of "moderation" as intrinsic to our character. He says we have "an aversion to ideology ? because that could lead to stridency, or even militancy. We dislike militancy." That may be true for Canadians in general, but, as any father seeking custodial equity in our feminist-dominated family law system can tell you, Canadian social policy and law are very much guided by militant ideology. Case in point: It was certainly not "moderation" that led to the passage of the gay marriage bill at the speed of light.

But I will overlook this lacuna in the spirit of Canadian compromise if Cohen's book is responsible for a successful campaign to bring back Dominion Day. Happy (ouch) Canada Day to all.

bkay@videotron.ca

© National Post 2007

[GMMAC]

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Must’ve never stayed the weekend at the Royal York, eh ?

[Pippin]

I have a solution!

Change the country's name to.......

ATLANTIS! ;o)

Hey, no one's using that name any more!

[Catholic Canadian]

An unfinished country

The title should read 'A finished country. We've multi-culti-pc'd ourselves out of existence.

[Alberta's Child]

Thanks, GMMAC -- interesting article.

I have lived on both sides of the border and do business in both countries, and I've long said that I don't think of Canada as a single country at all. It's more like a collection of a half-dozen quasi-nations with their own cultural identities and trade patterns with the U.S.

[Clive]

-

[goldstategop]

July 1st is Canada's Independence Day. The country's founders wanted to name it the "Kingdom Of Canada" in tribute to the monarchical principle but the British demurred for fear of American reaction. They had to find something else and did - Dominion - and found it in the 72nd Psalm and it fit the new nation perfectly like paper to a wall. Canada Day sounds so provincial. They should have kept Dominion Day - Canada is a kingdom after all.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[GreenLanternCorps]

Dominion Day: A day to celebrate the uniting of British North America into The Dominion of Canada.

Canada Day: A day to remind you that you live in Canada, not Sweden...

[Nathan Zachary]

""Dominion" happens not to refer to the British empire, as assumed by the bill's presenting MP, but to the 72nd Psalm: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea ?" But appearance is all, in matters multicultural."

No it doesn't. what rubbish.

The domonion of Canada was what Canada used to be called. Then the dominion of western Canada became provinces, beginning with Manitoba. Then they joined confederation with eastern Canada (Ontario mainly) on "Canada day", which was at first called "dominion day" to celebrate the birth of confederation (a bad mistake in many western Canadians minds)

[NorthOf45]

“Canada Day” has always sounded cheesy to me. Bring back “Dominion Day” AND the Red Ensign.

[Candor7]

Cohen is simply bang on! In attacking the banality of the "Liberal Created Canadian Utopia" which essentially is a francophile motivated rewriting of Canada's history, Cohen has done all Canadians a service of truth.

I grew up under the red ensign, and marched to the skirl of regimental bagpipes during my Canadian Maritime youth. The liberal bustards could not erase any of that from our hearts, and KUDOS to Cohen.

Screw the liberal " Brave New World" they attempted to create, and thank the God that makes us for Cohen and Aldous Huxley.

Repeal ALL gun laws in Canada.

[G8 Diplomat]

Make Ottawa a real capital city -- i.e., lend pride and vision to its public spaces, official residences and monuments.

As long as the Senators remain Ottawa's NHL team, that ain't happening! ;)

I must say though, I've always wondered why they changed the name to "Canada Day". It sounds cheesy and unimaginative. What exactly was wrong with Dominion Day anyway? I'm guessing the liberals were behind this change.

[GMMAC]

... or if the Sens at least didn't have one of the most massive dorks in the NHL as their captain.

As for your assumption: yep! the Liberals with the principal rationale of pandering to Quebec where 'Dominion' was perceived as somehow unduly British in its origin.

[Peter Libra]

This may seem a little off track. Your consideration hoped for. At our local library there is a display shelf on which a thinking person puts out latest publications. I presume they think that the shelves hide these gems.

I encountered a book titled:

Private Demons- Author:Patricia Phenix: McClelland and Stewart 2006

It is of the personal life on John Alexander Macdonald (1815-1891) who is called the father of confederation by some. Canada's Scottish born Prime Minister.

As an immigrant it enabled me to understand much more of the old Dominion of Canada. It has withstood many trials. Fancy labels and internationalists, multi-culture and all.

We stand on guard for thee. Hopefully!(friendly chuckle)

[GMMAC]

Here's a famous Conservative Party campaign poster from Sir John A's last hurrah - the sweeping victory in the 1891 general election.

The image of him being carried is doubly ironic both because he died a few months later and was renowned as a life-long functional drunkard.

btw, Canada's 2nd Prime Minister, Liberal Alexander MacKenzie who briefly interrupted MacDonald's long run, was also born in Scotland.

The 'Bob & Doug MacKenzie' act is funny on one level since heavy drinking & Scots' surnames both have a strong - and often related - basis in Canadian historical fact.

[G8 Diplomat]

... or if the Sens at least didn't have one of the most massive dorks in the NHL as their captain.

LOL!! Very true, great description of Daniel Alfredsson.

As for the pandering to Quebec, the Quebecois think they should be a separate country, so I'm not sure if the name "Canada Day" does them much good either!