Happy Canada Day 2005!
Posted on Friday, July 01 at 12:00 by Jesse
Vivelecanada wishes all Canadians a happy Canada Day! We're taking the day off (mostly), so there won't be any updates today. We encourage everyone to go out, enjoy the festivities in their town, and show their Canadian pride!
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And as I learned in Calculus class, don't drink and derive!
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"If you must kill a man, it costs you nothing to be polite about it." Winston Churchill
Canadian247
By GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN
Q: What does a Canadian say when you step on his foot?
A: Sorry!
Q: How many Canadians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. Canadians don't change light bulbs, we accept them as they are
This is a historic Canada Day.
It'll be the first Canada Day ever in which (theoretically) nothing will be lit up in any indoor public gathering spot in Edmonton, including every pub, club and patio open for tonight's national party
Just how Whyte Avenue handles Canada Day AND the first day of the (no) smoking bylaw will be interesting.
If you must exit the pub to satisfy a nicotine addiction, how will you get back in when it's full and there's a lineup?
Those who don't have children, who aren't asleep by midnight and who actually enjoy the energy of late-night street parties - i.e. most Edmontonians between the ages of 18 and 30 - are being shunned by official Canada Day organizers.
Blame it on the Whyte Avenue riot four years ago, which put a chill on traditional revelry.
The gatherings in the river valley, produced by the Klondike Days Association folks, are very much family-flavoured. Same goes for the alcohol-free Commonwealth Stadium party, ending at a way-too-early 9:30 p.m.
Other than the traditional Whyte Avenue bash, with a few trillion police on hand to ensure nothing gets out of hand, we're only aware of a few events designed for the foot-loose and fancy-free young adult crowd.
Rock the Lot Canada Day Party is at the new Four Points By Sheraton (Argyll and 75th Street) from 1:30 to 11 p.m. with the Molson Girls, three bands and a barbecue.
The Bear says the music will be rocking, the babes will be bouncing and the beer will be ice cold at its beach volleyball tournament today, tonight and tomorrow at the Canadian Brewhouse on 156 Street south of 111 Avenue.
At least somebody wants to have youthful fun.
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POTHEADS' CANADA DAY ANTHEM
(Sung to the tune of O Canada, consider this clever ditty a tribute as well to snowboarder Ross Rebagliati. Its origin is unknown ... likely from somewhere around Nelson, B.C.)
OH CANNABIS, OUR HOMEGROWN NATIVE PLANT.
ROLLED UP AND SMOKED, GIVES LIFE A PLEASANT SLANT.
WITH GLOWING TIP, WE SEE THEE RISE, THE "HAPPY SMOKE'' - STRONG AND FREE.
FROM FAR AND WIDE, OH CANNABIS, WE STAND ON GUARD FOR THEE (AGAINST THE RCMP!)
GOD KEEP OUR PLANT, GROWING STRONG AND FREE.
OH CANNABIS, WE ALL GET STONED FROM THEE.
OH CANNABIS, WE ALL GET STONED FROM THEE.
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MAY A MILLION FLAGS FLY
All joking aside, we born-and-bred Canadians are somewhat inept at showing our patriotism and pride in this extraordinarily safe, egalitarian, law-abiding, polite and caring country in which lies more individual opportunity than almost any other country on this Earth.
Which drives our forever community-involved good friend Allan Wells of the Tegler Foundation quite crazy.
"Where are all our flags? It's Canada Day!
"It's the provincial centennial! We should all be out displaying our patriotism for the world to see!"
Go to a flag shop, says Allan. Invest in Canadian and Alberta flags, two flag staffs and two mounts. Let them fly in front of your house today.
Great idea, Allan. I'll do it next year.
There's such a thing as a flag shop?
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PROUDER CANADIANS YOU WILL NOT FIND
Those Canadians who really appreciate this country know what it's like elsewhere.
The ethnic community, especially the recently arrived ethnic community, are the ones who "get" Canada Day.
This year's Edmonton Heritage Festival is featuring a new "multicultural" pavilion.
Four relatively new, still young, immigrant communities want to show their appreciation of their new country. But on its own, each group lacks the resources to run an entire pavilion over the August long weekend four weeks hence in Hawrelak Park.
So they've banded together to produce the "Congolese, Haitian, Kenyan and Zimbabwean pavilion," being organized by Nyambura Belcourt.
Originally from Kenya, Nyambura is but two years in Canada. She's already emerging as a strong city leader.
"It was a little tricky," chuckles Heritage Days executive director Jack Little. "Nyambura first submitted 29 food items for the four groups. We only have room for eight per pavilion on the menu. We negotiated."
Could we have a future "Horn of Africa" pavilion? The Ethiopians have a pavilion, but the young Somalian and Sudanese immigrant/refugee communities aren't listed among cultures being represented this year.
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CANADIAN HOSPITALITY
Fellow Sun columnist Kerry Diotte was vacationing in Ottawa last weekend, visiting his brother.
They drove by Stornoway, official home of the leader of the Opposition, i.e. Conservative Stephen Harper.
"We decided to take our pictures, in front of the 34-room, 9,500-square-foot mansion," says Kerry.
"As my brother was taking my photo, a blond woman came out and said something to the effect, 'Why don't you come into the yard and have a look around?'
"I initially thought it was a staffer being sarcastic and meaning something like, 'Geez, you're posing in front of a private home ... why not just tramp through the yard while you're at it.'
"But this was no staffer and she was quite genuine." It turned out to be Laureen Harper, Stephen's wife.
"She chatted with us for several minutes and said to feel free to tour around the grounds - which we gladly did.
" 'I always see people taking pictures of the place,' she said. 'When I do, I ask them to come on to the grounds and have a look around.'
"Just goes to show," says Kerry. "When you want real hospitality in the east you can always count on a westerner."
And, adds Kerry, can you imagine anyone in the U.S. government being so open with the public?
"Politicians there are all living in armed camps - far from the great unwashed."
God bless Canada!
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Dave Ruston
best canada day to date i think, despite forgetting my flag at a friend's house...
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"George Bush has declared the war on terrorism to be the cause of his generation. The cause of Canadian sovereignty will be ours." - John Godfrey, MP for Don Va
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