posted
Well, you yanks get your panties in a bundle when it comes to ID4. Well, I figure that seeing as where Canada Day is tomorrow, I'll post something!
Origin of the Name "Canada"
In 1535, two Indian Youths told Jacques Cartier about the route to "kanata." They were referring to the village of Stadacona; "kanata" was simply the Huron-Iroquois word for "village" or "settlement." But for want of another name, Cartier used "Canada" to refer not only to Stadacona (the site of present day Quebec City), but also to the entire area subject to its chief, Donnacona. The name was soon applied to a much larger area: maps in 1547 designated everything north of the St. Lawrence River as "Canada."
Cartier also called the St. Lawrence River the "riviere de Canada", a name used until the early 1600s. By 1616, although the entire region was known as New France, the area along the great river of Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence was still called Canada.
Soon explorers and fur traders opened up territory to the west and to the south and the area depicted as "Canada" grew. In the early 1700s, the name referred to all lands in what is now the American Midwest and as far south as the present day Louisiana.
The first use of "Canada" as an official name came in 1791 when the Province of Quebec was divided into the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada. In 1841, the two Canadas were again united under one name, the Province of Canada. At the time of Confederation, the new country assumed the name of Canada.
Wave that flag!
Canadians have sometimes been accused of being less of a flag-waving population than their American neighbours, but there's no doubt Canada's flag is one of the most distinguishable icons in the world. Here's a few flag facts, flaps and history that is part of the red-and-white and when you're through.
DESCRIPTION: The flag is red and white, the official colours of Canada as appointed by King George V in 1921, with a stylized 11-point red leaf in its centre.
PROPORTIONS: Two by length and one by width
HISTORY: The first "Canadian Flag" may have been the St. George's Cross, an English flag of the 15th century, carried by John Cabot and flown over Canada when he reached the east coast in 1497.
Thirty-seven years later, Jacques Cartier planted the fleur-de-lis on Canadian soil when he landed here and claimed the land for the King of France. The fleur-de-lis was flown until the early 1760s, when Canada was ceded to the United Kingdom.
Although first flown over Canada in 1621, the Royal Union Flag (with the Crosses of St. George and St. Andrew) replaced the fleur-de-lis after 1759. Following the Act of Union (1801), the Cross of St. Patrick was added to the flag that we now know more commonly as the Union Jack.
The Red Ensign was created in 1707 as the flag of the British Merchant Marine. A form of the Red Ensign, with quartered arms of Canadian provinces (later the shield of the Arms of Canada), gave rise to the Canadian Red Ensign , various forms of which were flown for approximately 1870 to 1965, as well as the Union Jack.
THE FLAG DEBATE: The debate over the proposed new Canadian flag opened in the House of Commons June 15, 1964 and ended by closure Dec. 15, 1964. Canada's official flag from 1867 had been Britain's Union Flag, although the Red Ensign with the Canadian badge was regularly flown for qualified purposes.
In 1925 Prime Minister Mackenzie King appointed an armed services committee to investigate possible designs, but it did not report. In 1946 a committee of both Senate and Commons presented a design with the Red Ensign charged with a golden maple leaf but it was not adopted. The issue was raised again by Lester Pearson, as leader of the Opposition in 1960 and as prime minister in 1963.
John Matheson MP sought strict adherence to the colours, red and white, and the maple leaf emblem authorized by George V on 21 November 1921 as advocated by A. Fortescue Duguid. Alan B. Beddoe added two blue bars to what became known as the "Pearson pennant. " This proposal for design, three maple leaves on a white centre square with blue bars on each side, was introduced to Parliament in June 1964. The ensuing controversy raged not over whether there should be a new flag, but on its design. The French Canadian members followed with keen interest a debate wherein feelings ran high among many English-speaking Canadians. John Diefenbaker demanded that the flag honour the "founding races," with the Union Jack in the canton of honour. Pearson insisted on a design denoting allegiance to Canada devoid of colonial association.
After prolonged, rancorous debate the issue was referred to a 15-member all-party committee which recommended a design inspired by the Royal Military College flag theme, red-white-red, but with one red maple leaf in a white squared centre.
Debate in the House continued until L�on Balcer, a prominent Conservative MP from Qu�bec, invited the Liberals to invoke closure, which would limit speeches to 20 minutes and force a vote. After some 250 speeches, a vote was taken Dec. 15, 1964 at 2 a.m. and the committee's recommendation was accepted 163 to 78. Senate approval followed on Dec. 17. The royal proclamation was signed by Her Majesty 28 January 1965 and the national flag was officially unfurled Feb. 15 1965.
posted
Canada Day? What a cute name! Nothing fancy aboot it! Have to confess though, my tounge gets stuck at all the D's. I don't know much about Canada, but I do know this...YOUR BEER SUCKS!!! *immediately get's pounded on by big hockey-goalie*
No seriously, cheers! Where I come from we can't wave our flags in public without being called nationalist/neo-nazi pigs, but that's for MY national-day thread. Very enlightening piece about thy history, puts matters in perspective. (Uh...yeah?) I drink one more delicious apfel-cidre, for your C. (Funny how it always gets to that...)
------------------ Ready for the action now, Dangerboy Ready if I'm ready for you, Dangerboy Ready if I want it now, Dangerboy? How dare you, dare you, Dangerboy? How dare you, Dangerboy? I dare you, dare you, Dangerboy...
posted
Hey, Nimrod saw the same movie I did. I think it was about ham or something.
------------------ June is National Accordion Awareness Month. "People are buried however they choose to be, apparently. Unless you've never written your will, in which case your body is shipped to Meltakron V and reanimated to serve as a robot in their yttrium mines." - Simon Sizer
posted
Ha! I just wrote an unbvelievable amount of crap and then deleted it. Guess I get one more day. Gee, thanks.
------------------ Ready for the action now, Dangerboy Ready if I'm ready for you, Dangerboy Ready if I want it now, Dangerboy? How dare you, dare you, Dangerboy? How dare you, Dangerboy? I dare you, dare you, Dangerboy...
Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
*seeing that it is now 12:52am, July 1st, Eastern Standard Time......*
It's officially CANADA DAY!!!! Time to
*clears throat*
Oh Canada, our home and native land, True Patriot Love, In all thy sons Command Car ton bras sait porter l'epopee Il sait porter la croix Ton Histoire et une epopee Des plus brilliants exploits God, keep our land, glorious and free, Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee, Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
*fireworks*
Happy Canada Day!!!!
------------------ "My Name is Elmer Fudd, Millionaire. I own a Mansion and a Yacht." Psychiatrist: "Again."
posted
And I shall watch my favourite Monty Python sketch, also in honour of Canada day.
*sings* I'm a lumerjack and ah'm okay. I sleep all night and I work all day.
Everybody!
------------------ "A fully functioning, cybernetic, technologically advanced team of superheroes... and NOBODY'S got a flashlight?" - Polly Ester; Samurai Pizza Cats
posted
I hear you, TSN, and of course I exaggerated. We have a flagpole at our house in the country. No, the thing is that we've got a bit of a problem with skin-head nationalists, putting us swedes in a hard place. Many schools have abandoned the national anthem in fear of neglecting all the immigrants, an action so ridiculous that a bunch of greeks, turks and africans in my school brought a biig swedish flag to our end of term and sang the anthem themselves.
I hope I get to see Canada sometime. We could compare our benevolent mooses. (Or is it Meese?)
------------------ Ready for the action now, Dangerboy Ready if I'm ready for you, Dangerboy Ready if I want it now, Dangerboy? How dare you, dare you, Dangerboy? How dare you, Dangerboy? I dare you, dare you, Dangerboy...
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