Summer is here now

Tags

Canada Day, Charlottetown, Mi'kmaq, PEI, Savage Harbour

Finally Summer, the weather is much warmer than it was just one week ago. The City Public Works crew were out hanging flower pots from lamp posts. The Strawberries from the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia have arrived on the market and this being PEI, the tradition is to ask on an enquiring tone from the Fruit and Veg section clerk, where are they from? Of course we all know the answer and the clerk as per the tradition will apologize and admit in a contrite tone that they are from Annapolis across the Strait 12 km away. Then you sniff at them and proclaim that you will wait 2 weeks for the real Strawberries from PEI to appear on the shelves and of course when no one is looking sneak back and buy the Annapolis Valley Strawberries to make shortcake for one of the numerous socials going on.

The City also came by or I should say the nice ladies from the big park next to our house who are in charge of keeping it nice looking, tending the flower beds etc. They always clean a little patch of weeds by our house that technically belongs to the City and they over the years have planted hostas and tiger lillies, it looks really nice. Public works has also changed the flags at the marina, they do this once a year or maybe twice, the wind rips them up pretty bad and it is disgraceful to see.

All shops are now open and we are going into full tourist trap schedule. So far the numbers are not high and even the cruise ships do not appear terribly full, maybe half full. Fine with me. What is a little sad are the arguments made by business owners and the Chamber of Commerce to keep wages down and offer little to workers, while gouging the unsuspecting tourists. You see it in restaurant prices, Air B&B at $500 to $700 dollars a night for one bedroom downtown. No wonder workers are next to impossible to find in all positions.

With inflation at 7% now in Canada and t 9% in PEI and with the price of gas, I wonder how many people can afford to come here to sit on the beach or go look at fantasy land, Anne of Green Gables. Yes there are other things to see and quite enjoyable, mostly national parks, but then again we are not that different from New Brunswick or Nova Scotia who offer more in terms of more varied restaurants scene, shopping, important sights, all because they have larger populations. Though we are told constantly that tourism is important, the City does very little to clean itself up, Queen Street the main drag looks shabby and other sites in town need a major uplift. They still have not finished renovating the Legislature, Province House, we have to wait another 2 years to see the Legislature return to the building, the final price tag which is covered by the Federal Government is about $100 million from the original of $36 million.

June 21, was Indigenous day in Canada, the National Broadcaster CBC and Radio-Canada played all day music from the First Nations. I was a little apprehensive as to what that would be, however it turned out that many artists, composers, musicians presented great music in very varied genres. It was a discovery, many were unknown to me and I wondered why do we not hear more about them all year long.

Also on PEI the Government has been including the original indigenous place names on road signs instead of just the English place names which were imposed after 1755, this is part of a PR exercise which is very cynical, our politicians have suddenly since 2019 discovered the indigenous people living with us.

One place is called Savage Harbour, on the North Shore, it was so named by the British to replace the name the French Acadians and the Mi’kmaq had for the place which was in French, Havre a l’anguille, (Eel Harbor), in Mi’Kmaq it would be Jipijka’Maq. The first French families in 1725 were Laforestrie, Blanchard, Chiasson, de Veau, Garenne and Poitier families, all farmers. It will be interesting to see if the PEI Government goes along with changing the name of Savage Harbor to its Mi’kmaq origin or even include the French name Havre a l’anguille, which they always try to suppress to this day.

In about 8 days its Canada Day and I believe we will be going to the Club for a BBQ in the garden. Tomorrow is grooming day for Nicky and Nora in Kensington and I will go to Summerside for lunch before returning to pick them up all cleaned up for the Summer.

July already

Tags

Canada Day, dachshunds, PEI

Well here we are in July and today is Canada Day version 154 according to Official history, I prefer to think like most French Canadian that is it in fact 421 years when the first French Europeans settled in New France.

This entire week weather wise has been very strange, more sure signs that Climate is for real and cannot be ignored anymore, though politicians are still debating what to do.

In British Columbia they have the pandemic, forest fires and heat in the 50C range. The extreme heat alone has killed in 4 days 680 people. People do not know what to do and panic. On the Atlantic we have moderate weather with rain and fog. The overcast weather has made so far for a quiet Canada day. Covid 19 means no fireworks tonight to avoid large gatherings. We are going out for dinner just across the street.

Tomorrow is bar-b-q day and I am at the grill, luckily I have help, we are looking at about 25 to 30 people. There will be cake and live music by two very good musicians who will play Canadian music.

First thing tomorrow morning I have to go to the Vet with Nicky who has been sick all week, stomach ache of some kind, he has a very fragile stomach. Currently he is having real chicken broth and soft white rice. He loves the broth but he is hungry however he does not appear to be able to keep anything down. I also have to drive Will to the clinic for his second shot of Moderna. Pick up the cake and buy burgers and sausage, buns etc. A busy day.

The strangest thing happened also this week, for the last 40 years out of convenience, I have been shopping at Land’s End for clothes and sheets. When you live in exotic locale you need to have access to standard fashion with good quality. Land’s End fits the bill and I have always been satisfied with what I bought from them. Only when living in Europe did we buy at local shops because they had the quality and what we were looking for.
I got an email from them this week to tell me that my latest order was lost in shipping. I was very surprised this has never happened, the order will be replaced at no cost with much apologies.

So all arrangements have been made with the babysitter for our vacation, we had dinner with her the other night on the marina. It only takes us 35 minutes to get there, I was told by Miss Daisy that it is more like 80 minutes, hey I’m the driver I should know this. It is all nice countryside and little to no traffic. Keeping my fingers crossed for good weather for our 2 weeks.

Happy Canada Day!

Friday

Tags

Barbq, Canada, Canada Day, Celebration, Speedo

Another week has zipped by and the days are filled with tasks, from shopping to appointments of all kinds. The coming week on Monday the car goes in for detailing inside and out, giving it that brand new car look. Then I will have to shop for the big bar-b-q for Friday 02 July and a cake in white and red colours. Will is also getting his second shot of Moderna. We will also have to meet with the babysitter for the 2 puppies while we are away. So nothing too onerous all around.

Our Atlantic Bubble starts today with conditions for people wanting to come to PEI from other Atlantic Provinces but still have to prove they are fully vaccinated or have at least one vaccination. The Premier released a nice promotional video of PEI welcoming people back and businesses are all re-opening, though a serious shortage of people is stopping many businesses from fully re-opening, I am not sure where this shortage comes from.

This Saturday morning I was at the Farmer’s Market which is still not as busy at is once was. One thing for sure is that the cost of many if not all food items has increased greatly, which I find hard to understand. The same can be said about sales sometime for a week what was at $7. is suddently at $3. The grocery chains also encourage wastage by offering 2 items for the price of one and if you only buy one well you are paying a very high price. So why not buy two. Same with all paper products, it is completely unexplained with you are paying 90% more for an item after a year of pandemic. It seems that if an item faced a shortage a year ago the prices increased drastically then, but now there is no shortage and the price is still high.

So the coming week is about getting ready for Canada Day.

I am the Bar-B-Q guy at the Club this year, expecting about 35 people. I ordered the cake today, White and Red Icing is the rigueur.

We do this in the garden and will have live music with a couple of well known musicians. I believe the weather should be nice. If not we have the great room so it will work out.

I know some people who will Bar-B-Q in a snow blizzard, Canadians are resourceful.

Everyone has been asked to wear White and Red at the party.

Canada, 1534-2020.

Tags

Acadie, Anthem, Canada Day, Dominion, England, France, Montreal, Quebec

Today is Canada Day, 1 July, 486 years old. The Canadian National Anthem first composed by Calixa Lavallée as a French-Canadian Patriotic Song in 4 couplets and performed on 24 June 1880. It Officially became the National Anthem of Canada by Act of Parliament in 1980, though everyone considered O Canada the National Anthem prior to that date. The english words to the Anthem are recent and have been modified several times to suit the taste of the times. The French version is the original, though only the short version is sung usually.

Some dates in the History of Canada,

1534 arrival of French Navigator Jacques Cartier in the Gaspé area and his first encounter with native people. He was looking for a route to China.

1608 Samuel de Champlain founding of Quebec City which becomes the Capital of the French Empire in North America.

1642 Paul de Chomedey De Maisonneuve founder of Montreal with Jeanne Mance who creates the first hospital, L’Hôtel Dieu de Montreal, still in operation today 378 years later.

1755, Deportation of thousands of Acadian people from the Maritime region of Canada by British forces.

1763, Treaty of Paris at the end of the Seven Years War in Europe, France ceding vast territories in North America to England.

1837-38 Rebellion against British rule and demands for elected responsible government by French Canadians.

1855 Creation of the Canadian Militia later known as the Canadian Army whose commander in Chief is H.M. the Queen.

1864-1867 Three Conferences between the British North American Colonies (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Ontario-Quebec) to establish an independent country. 1 July 1867 Proclamation of the Constitution and establishment of Canada as a unified country. Ottawa designated as the National Capital.

1875 Supreme Court of Canada is established by Act of Parliament.

1910 Creation by Royal Decree of the Royal Canadian Navy. Commander in Chief H.M. the Queen.

1914-1918 Canada participates in First World War as an independent nation and sign the Peace Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

1921, The discovery of insulin occurred in 1921 following the ideas of Canadian orthopedic surgeon Dr. Frederick G. Banting, the chemistry skills of his assistant Charles Best, and John MacLeod of the University of Toronto

1924 Creation of the Canadian Royal Air Force, Commander in Chief H.M. the Queen.

1931 Statute of Westminster, British Parliament affirmed Canadian autonomy and recognized the virtual independence.

1956 Canadian diplomat and Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize for “saving the world” with a UN peacekeeping force, during the Suez Canal Crisis in the Middle East.

1965, Royal Proclamation of the Canadian  Maple Leaf Flag.

1976 Olympics Games are held in Montreal under the mandate of Mayor Jean Drapeau.

1980, O Canada by Act of Parliament becomes the Official Anthem of Canada.

1982 Proclamation by Constitutional Act of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

1984, Marc Garneau is the first Canadian Astronaut to go to space.

1999 The Ottawa Treaty signed by 133 countries banning Land mines, Canadian minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy launched the Ottawa Process, which led to the treaty ratification banning of Land mines in armed conflicts.

2005, The Civil Marriage Act was introduced by Prime Minister Paul Martin in Parliament on February 1, as Bill C-38. It was passed by the House of Commons on June 28, becoming law in Canada in July 2005. Canada is the fourth country in the World to legalize same-sex marriage.

This rendition of the National Anthem is performed by the Band of the Ceremonial Guard of the Canadian Armed Forces.

 

Canada Day weekend

Tags

2018, Acadian area, Canada Day, PEI, St-Nicholas

So here we are at Canada Day weekend 2018.  Last weekend was St-Jean Baptiste, the holiday of French-Canadians which goes back to ancient times in Gaul.

We are escaping the Capital by going up West to the Miscouche area which is near Summerside, to a small settlement called St-Nicholas. We have friends who have this very large farm, they don’t farm but rent out to farmers. They do grown wine and have a large wood lot and beach, in the distance you can see the Confederation bridge.

We are bringing the dogs with us, will see how they behave. Our friends have two old small dogs, it will be an interesting experiment.

We are also bringing a Moka-Chocolate cake made by a new pastry chef, I am trying her out but people who ordered her cakes say she is quite good.

It will be nice to be away from the City, though so far it has been very quiet tourism wise, not at all like last year with all the 150 celebrations.

I have been very busy training guides for both my volunteer jobs at Government House and learning all about the Art exhibit at the Gallery not to mention my on-going campaign. So I am not unemployed.

Our only concern is Nicky and Nora, especially Nora who tend to want to explore, so they will have to be on leash at all times outside. The weather promises to be hot and muggy 26 C.

this Realtor aerial photo shows the wooded area of the farm. The new housing development is called Sunbury cove and is not part of their farm. To get to their beach area we have to drive through the forested area and across the new development road. You could not walk from their house the area is too swampy.

By car a distance of about 50 minutes driving

It was a great day

Tags

2017, Canada Day, Canada., Confederation, Ottawa, Parliament, Prince of Wales, Winnipeg

We had fun yesterday with all our friends.

On Parliament Hill in Ottawa, huge crowds and lots of rain, but the show did go on.

HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Governor General and PM Justin Trudeau were there. The noontime speech by the Prime Minister had large parts of it in French and he also acknowledged a fact that Canada is far older than the 150 years. In terms of European settlement and history it goes back 500 years and if you had the idea that Aboriginals have been known to live and prosper in Canada for 15,000 years. So we are an old  country.  Confederation is a political union of various parts into one but you cannot ignore all that went on before.

The Prince of Wales also made his speech in French, many do not think or know that he does speak the language fluently.

The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Trudeau at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Here in Charlottetown PEI, we went to see the fireworks at Victoria Park which were spectacular. We had a great view, standing on the lawn of Beaconsfield House facing the open bay. We spent the evening with friends and it was a lot of fun.

In Winnipeg which is a geographical centre of Canada, here is a shot of the intersection of Portage and Main street. Said to be the coldest intersection of the country. The maple leaf is hundreds of people standing in formation.

 

In Ottawa a street sign in front of a house. In French, English and Arabic.

1 July

Tags

2017, Canada Day, Charlottetown, PEI, St-Dunstan

We have been celebrating for 2 days, very festive atmosphere in Charlottetown PEI.

Yesterday we went to our friends cottage DS and PS to see the tall sailing ships line up to enter the Charlottetown Harbour passing the narrow point at Port La-Joye the old French Fort guarding the entrance.

Here is one of them , approaching the entrance from the Strait of Northumberland into the Harbour. Passing in front of a low laying Governor Island. There are 9 in total in port. Plus (HMCS) Her Majesty’s Cruise Ship, Charlottetown of the Royal Canadian Navy. The tall sailing ships are from Malta, Peru, Holland, USA, France, UK.

Here turning to the right into the Charlottetown Harbour, following the Light House signal to turn, the current of the Hillsborough River and North River in the Harbour is quite strong.

Here is the Peruvian Sail ship passing under the cannons of Port La-Joye. At night in the Harbour the 4 masts are all lighted up, quite festive.

HMCS Charlottetown in port. 

Also in the Harbour they displayed a large map of Canada. I was happy to see it because I got a much better understanding of where is the Western and Eastern part of the Province by looking at it. The map also display the name of the Mi’kmaq First Nation whose territories cover all of the Maritimes. You can also see Cap aux Meules where we are going in a few days by ferry on the Iles de la Madeleine, part of Quebec Province, a 80 Km  sand bank in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

The Polar Price C-3 is an ice breaker who is undertaking to sail all of Canada’s 3 Seas, Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific in the coming months. Prime Minister Justin was in town yesterday to visit the ship.

Our Flag on our back balcony. This flag is 40 yrs old, all these years ago when I worked in Parliament in Ottawa, I got it then and it travelled the world with me, flying in foreign Capitals where I was stationed on July 1.

This morning, 1 July at 10am the 18 bells of St-Dunstan Basilica were re-dedicated after an absence of 40 yrs. The Premier of PEI, Wade MacLauchlan and many others spoke, the Bishop blessed the bell tower and then a concert by the organist, the working of the bells is now computerized, playing the National Anthem O Canada and the crowd singing along.

Friday evening shot of the harbour at Prince Street. The sky was beautiful.

Happy Canada Day to all!

This week

Tags

AGCC, Art Gallery, Canada Day, Canada., Charlottetown, CN, national anthem, PEI, Railway, West Covehead

It was  a busy week both at the Art Gallery and in general, we were invited to attend a fundraising cocktail at the home of the Premier of PEI. It was all very informal, the food was prepared by the our Premier Wade MacLauchlan, he is a very good cook. The drinks or special cocktails were very good, one made with gin and the other with bourbon. He and his husband Duncan MacIntosh have a beautiful home on the beach. The scenery is spectacular and so peaceful.

Here we are at Covehead with our friends Blake and Alex. The Sunset in the West over the Gulf was amazing in its brilliance. Alex is the President of Pride PEI and Blake is the top hairstylist in Charlottetown. Will is enjoying one of the special cocktails.

The Art Gallery was also very busy this week, lots of visitors, with the end of June suddenly the tourist appear. We had the big opening night and now it is regular Summer traffic.

We were told by Robert Houle, the new commissioned canvass for the 150th Anniversary of Confederation.  Beside it is the famous and celebrated canvass by Jean-Paul Lemieux, Charlottetown Revisited, created in 1964 for the opening of the Art Gallery.

All the various canvasses on Canada and Confederation have a political message to them, my job is to steer clear of it and speak solely about the art itself and the artist.

Today is June 24 and is the National day of all of us French Canadians across Canada, originally called Saint Jean-Baptiste Day. From this old celebration comes the Canadian National Anthem O’Canada, with original lyrics in French by Adolphe-Basile Routhier and music by Calixa Lavallée. It was originally commissioned by Lieutenant-Governor of Québec, Théodore Robitaille in 1880. Like everything else in Canada, the original French version is very different in its wording from the English version composed many years later.

Ô Canada ! Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux !
Car ton bras sait porter l’épée,
Il sait porter la croix !
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Sous l’œil de Dieu, près du fleuve géant,
Le Canadien grandit en espérant.
Il est né d’une race fière,
Béni fut son berceau.
Le ciel a marqué sa carrière
Dans ce monde nouveau.
Toujours guidé par sa lumière,
Il gardera l’honneur de son drapeau,
Il gardera l’honneur de son drapeau.
De son patron, précurseur du vrai Dieu,
Il porte au front l’auréole de feu.
Ennemi de la tyrannie
Mais plein de loyauté,
Il veut garder dans l’harmonie,
Sa fière liberté.
Et par l’effort de son génie,
Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité,
Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité.
Amour sacré du trône et de l’autel,
Remplis nos cœurs de ton souffle immortel !
Parmi les races étrangères,
Notre guide est la loi :
Sachons être un peuple de frères,
Sous le joug de la foi.
Et répétons, comme nos pères,
Le cri vainqueur : « Pour le Christ et le roi ! »
Le cri vainqueur : « Pour le Christ et le roi ! ».

Next week on Friday 1 July is Canada Day, in Charlottetown the tall ships are sailing in at 9am. Hopefully it will be a nice clear day, to watch this spectacle.

We will be able to observe them from our house and it will make the harbour look as it was in 1900.

This week Earle Macdonald who has a blog on Facebook about old Charlottetown published a photo of what the city was like before 1989 showing the rail yards across the street from our home. The waterfront which today has been reclaimed and turned into parkland was then a very industrial area.

In this photo you can see, barely, our house, hidden by trees.

The big round house for locomotives and the rail cars refurbishment buildings with other Canadian National Railway buildings. Only the Brass shop and what is now called Founder’s Hall remain today the rest is parkland. The cruise ships dock at the end of the wharf now Prince Street.

The old Brass shop, still standing and completely renovated housing today Receiver Coffee Co. and John’s Bread Works.

Today the Brass Shop c.1876 much improved.

Founder’s Hall today, to be soon re-developed into a market 

The black fox at the dinner party

Tags

Canada Day, Charlottetown, Fireworks, Fox, garden party, PEI

Last night for Canada Day we got together with friends for a pot luck dinner of gourmet slider burgers (my recipe) a wonderful salad, some Moroccan Cigars which are like egg rolls and come with a spicy sauce, very good, dessert were fresh PEI strawberries, the first of the Season. There was also a shrimp dip and a guacamole dip both very good. Lots of wines and good conversation. All in the setting of one of the most spectacular gardens I have ever seen. From the street you could not tell that this beautiful little bungalow hid behind it such a magical garden with a small lake full of Koi, a waterfall, and lanterns from Bali. All of it surrounded by majestic old trees giving it an air of peace and tranquility.

While sipping on wine, someone pointed out the black Fox in the neighbours garden. I had never seen a black Fox, his coat was like silk and his tail had flecks of white in it. He crossed the fence and sauntered at a respectful distance on the other side of the small lake. I was glad I did not have Nora with me, the wire hair dachshund hunter spirit in her would have triggered a fight. The neighbour who lives in the house next door, a stone mansion in the romanesque style built in 1888 as a gift for a bride who once presented to her refused to live in it. The neighbour said, oh yes that black Fox stole my gardening gloves, he is very bold, he lives here and moves about as he please. It was a magical site to see such an animal simply walking about at the bottom of the garden.

Then at 10pm the fireworks coming from the old Battery overlooking the mouth of the river and harbour entrance. We walked to the river’s edge just a few steps away from our garden party on Kent Street. The whole area was full of people, the grounds of historical Beaconsfield House and the Entrance to Fanningbank, the Official Residence of the Lieutenant Governor of PEI illuminated by the display. The crowd was quiet and simply enjoying the show and this beautiful evening.

Canada Day 2016

Tags

1864, 1867, Canada Day, Canada., Confederation, PEI, Strawberries

This Canada Day is the 149th Anniversary of the Birth of our Dominion (Kingdom).

To celebrate here in Charlottetown is somewhat unique since it is the birthplace of the whole idea of uniting a group of Colonies into a country. The delegates all came to Charlottetown on the day the Circus was in town and no one except for William Henry Pope came to greet them at the landing by rowing out to the S.S. Victoria which brought them (36) from the mainland. The hotels were full and many had to be billeted in private homes for the duration of the Conference which would draw out the roles and responsibilities of the Provinces and of the Federal Government, since they were all Provincial delegates, it was them who decided what powers the central government would have, how the House of Commons would be composed and how many members each Province would get in the Senate, PEI has 4 Senators.

In 1867 Sir John A. Macdonald went to London to meet with Queen Victoria and returned with the Act creating the Dominion of Canada on 1 July 1867.

This morning we walked up Great George street to Province House which was the theatre of all those events in 1864 to see on the plaza of the Memorial Hall to the Fathers of Confederation a noon hour show by the Young Company of the Confederation Centre called The Voices of Canada/Les Voix du Canada. We sang the National Anthem and frankly it was a beautiful, fun, light and inclusive show, speaking to us all Canadians. The performers are talented group with good voices and talent to spare.

The show touched on history, Canadian heroes, the Acadians, the Natives, famous and controversial figures like Louis Riel and the underground railroad from the USA which brought Africans to Canada and freedom. It also touched on themes of diversity and immigration, which got a loud cheer from the crowd.

A lot of people are wearing our National Colours red and white today.

Later we are going to a dinner party in a garden, said to be the most beautiful house garden in the city. The funny thing is that this is a moving feast, at first only 6 people were attending at a mutual friends house, then it got moved to our home and the number was now 9 people. Now it has moved again and is a potluck with 19 people attending.

For dessert we are having strawberries from Nova Scotia, they are so sweet and heavily perfumed, not like those awful imported strawberries we get in the grocery store.

Happy to be here now living permanently in PEI the birthplace of Confederation.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!  Bonne Fête du CANADA!