Canada and the Scots

[Nathan]

As the hours tick down to the start of the Canada Day long weekend, I thought I'd take a moment and share some information about Canada and the influence of Scottish Canadians.

Canada Day commemorates July 1, 1867, the enactment of the British North America Act (1867), now called the Constitution Act.

Every July 1st, Canadians celebrate the fact that representatives of the colonies of British North America got together at some meetings, most famously in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island over some Alexander Keith's Ale, set aside their differences and gave birth to a great new country.

In school, we are often told the tale of Canada being the product of "Two founding Nations - the English and the French". Not only does this simplistic notion ignore the influence of the Aboriginals, Métis, Irish, Chinese etc... But one need only glance at the list of Fathers of Confederation to see that by far, the most numerous group on the list of early Canadian statesmen were Scots. In fact, by 1881, Canadians of Irish and Scottish descent outnumbered the English and French and Gaelic was Canada’s third most common language. It was the mother tongue of our first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, and most of the Fathers of Confederation!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fathers_of_Confederation

http://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.g...aelic-eng.html

If one takes a look at the Prime Ministers of Canada, one can't help but notice the predominance of Scottish names as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ters_of_Canada

Many of the men on both lists were actually born in Scotland.

The following article includes a list of prominent Scottish Canadians past and present. It's far from comprehensive but is well worth a look.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Canadian

So on July 1st, I’ll be hoisting a pint, possibly wearing my kilt and marveling over how those pioneering Scots overcame the adversity and oppression of proscription and the clearances and built a new country in a land covered in trees and challenged by the will of nature in an extreme and often harsh climate. Scottish Canadians have been at the heart of Canadian history but were often counted simply as British or even English. I think they accepted this for the sake of our sometimes fragile national unity because the goal of nation building was more important than the recognition for their part in it.

So if you’re raising a glass on July 1st, remember those brave and industrious Scots who made project Canada their passion. I believe that while far from perfect (What country is?), Canada has on balance been a force for good in the world and an example of peaceful coexistance, calm democratic transfers of power, the rule of law, the value of institutions, peace order and good government and finally, of respect for tradition coupled with a willingness to embrace change.

I recently saw a documentary that contained a story of a group of Government enquirers who went to study the problems in the Hebrides in the late 1800s. When they asked a local Uist woman, “Where are your leaders?”, she replied, “They’re governing Canada.”

She was telling the truth.

Happy Canada Day.

Slàinte Mhath!