Happy Canada Day! After a long and difficult slog north from Boston General Benedict Arnold discovered much to his dismay that His Majesty’s loyal subjects had no interest whatsoever in joining the colonial uprising. He retreated, and today, near a charming coffee shop in Quebec City, there is a marker that notes the failed American invasion of Canada.
During my 35+ years as an American academic besides presenting academic papers at US academic conferences I also presented academic papers at Canadian conferences. I discovered two facts. The Canadian faculty were kind, respectful and had great comments, even if they disagreed with the premise of my paper. I was also able to see so much of Canada - from Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver and points in between. I was so very lucky.
Thanks for this Steve. My youngest son lives and works in Toronto now, and all 4 of my grandparents were born in Quebec, so I have always felt a strong bond with Canada. But you gave me a good history lesson today.
Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian family, particularly my beautiful, kind and wonderful daughter-in-law and my amazing step-grandkids. Happy Birthday, Chloe🥰
Thank you, Steve, I appreciate knowing the role the San Juan’s played in defining the U.S./Canada border. Every Fourth of July the Samish Island Marching Band begins the parade with O Canada, and then the National Anthem. It has even more significance after your article.
Happy Canada Day! And thank you Steve, for this beautiful tribute to the country I was very fortunate to be born in. Living on Vancouver Island and being surrounded by natural beauty everywhere I look, I hope we can preserve the peace and tranquility here for future generations. Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are!
What a heart-warming tribute to our great country, one of the best in the world and what a blessing it has been to have this international friendship prevail. My wife, Shelagh and I were, this day, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a gem of a community near Niagara Falls and across the river from Lewiston NY. This was the scene of battles in the war of 1812 and a heroine named, Laura Secord, not unlike your Paul Revere is now remembered in Chocolate Stores across the country. This town is host to the wonderful Shaw Festival where we saw Noel Coward’s Blythe Spirit, but I digress.
An interesting anomaly rises out of the history Steve recounted. It happens that the 49th Parallel cuts off the tip of a peninsula, 20 miles south of Vancouver, BC, leaving a tiny piece of America isolated so that it can only be reached by a 25 mile trip through Canada. It is called Point Roberts, Washington and is a small town with an international border crossing. I’ve been there. It is no big deal but a part of America that Canada, in some ways, looks after. Only friends could sort that out. I guess it could be said that our two nation’s birthdays are about as close as we together are. May it always be so!
Steve. This made me so happy. You are writing about my home(Anacortes)! Gateway to the San Juans. I grew up in Indiana and had always longed to live in the PNW. Seven years ago, I made that dream a reality, and I never grow bored of it's natural beauty. I too have an admiration and fondness for our neighbors just 40 miles north(as the crow flies).
I love this post, thank you! We’ve become friends with so many Canadian “snow birds” at our place in AZ, and have visited them twice. We have such an interesting history with Canada, and they always laugh at our obsession with Tim Horton!
I recently had this discussion with my daughter. Canada and America are indeed one. It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that we are all North Americans who share a culture, a language and values of democracy and freedom. Hope we can get our house in order before the USA is brought down by wing nuts on the far right. Thanks for the wonderful article. Happy Canada Day!
"It is up to you to keep your potatoes out of my pig." Loved the Pig War story. To this day, every few years I re-read "Calico Captive," by Elizabeth George Speare. Much of the book takes place in the Montreal of 1754 and tells the story of an American teen and the French Canadian girl who befriends her.
Happy Canada Day to my many Canadian friends! And thanks for that history lesson, Steve. While I consider myself a student of history, much of that story is one I was unfamiliar with. So thanks for what you do every day to make us all so much smarter! And keep it up!
What a lovely piece - thank you, Steve. As a first-generation immigrant (I came as an exchange student and ended up with a bunch of degrees and a husband) I was immediately struck by the openness of Canadians to new perspectives, ideas, and people. A country that, moreover, does not discriminate based on who or what you are, or where you were born - as a result, I was privileged to join Canada's diplomatic service. I ultimately served as Ambassador in a European country close to my country of birth.
"Canuck21," people would tell me there. "That doesn't sound very Canadian!" And I always answered, "Sure it does. As Canadian as Johnson, Tremblay, Wong, Two Bears, Chowdhury, Kryszinsky, or al-Saafi."
Love this place - universal health care; right to choose who you marry, or whether you want to give birth; campaign finance laws that are enforced; a non-political Supreme Court with ethics guidelines that one of them actually took so seriously, he resigned due to the *appearance* of an issue; uniform election laws and processes that don't change by county; a policy-based immigration system that mostly works and is supported by most people... I could go on, but I have a BBQ to prepare.
During my 35+ years as an American academic besides presenting academic papers at US academic conferences I also presented academic papers at Canadian conferences. I discovered two facts. The Canadian faculty were kind, respectful and had great comments, even if they disagreed with the premise of my paper. I was also able to see so much of Canada - from Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver and points in between. I was so very lucky.
Thanks for this Steve. My youngest son lives and works in Toronto now, and all 4 of my grandparents were born in Quebec, so I have always felt a strong bond with Canada. But you gave me a good history lesson today.
Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian family, particularly my beautiful, kind and wonderful daughter-in-law and my amazing step-grandkids. Happy Birthday, Chloe🥰
Hopefully, I won't have to get to know Canada better after the first Tuesday after the first Monday of next November, 2024.
But... will they let us all in???
I laughed out loud.
Thank you, Steve, I appreciate knowing the role the San Juan’s played in defining the U.S./Canada border. Every Fourth of July the Samish Island Marching Band begins the parade with O Canada, and then the National Anthem. It has even more significance after your article.
Thank you. Lovely recognition of our shared heritage
Happy Canada Day! And thank you Steve, for this beautiful tribute to the country I was very fortunate to be born in. Living on Vancouver Island and being surrounded by natural beauty everywhere I look, I hope we can preserve the peace and tranquility here for future generations. Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are!
Thankfully Canada has retained her unique identity - a people and place that make such great neighbors.
What a heart-warming tribute to our great country, one of the best in the world and what a blessing it has been to have this international friendship prevail. My wife, Shelagh and I were, this day, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a gem of a community near Niagara Falls and across the river from Lewiston NY. This was the scene of battles in the war of 1812 and a heroine named, Laura Secord, not unlike your Paul Revere is now remembered in Chocolate Stores across the country. This town is host to the wonderful Shaw Festival where we saw Noel Coward’s Blythe Spirit, but I digress.
An interesting anomaly rises out of the history Steve recounted. It happens that the 49th Parallel cuts off the tip of a peninsula, 20 miles south of Vancouver, BC, leaving a tiny piece of America isolated so that it can only be reached by a 25 mile trip through Canada. It is called Point Roberts, Washington and is a small town with an international border crossing. I’ve been there. It is no big deal but a part of America that Canada, in some ways, looks after. Only friends could sort that out. I guess it could be said that our two nation’s birthdays are about as close as we together are. May it always be so!
Steve. This made me so happy. You are writing about my home(Anacortes)! Gateway to the San Juans. I grew up in Indiana and had always longed to live in the PNW. Seven years ago, I made that dream a reality, and I never grow bored of it's natural beauty. I too have an admiration and fondness for our neighbors just 40 miles north(as the crow flies).
I love this post, thank you! We’ve become friends with so many Canadian “snow birds” at our place in AZ, and have visited them twice. We have such an interesting history with Canada, and they always laugh at our obsession with Tim Horton!
Love Tim Hortons!!! - and Canada!
I recently had this discussion with my daughter. Canada and America are indeed one. It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that we are all North Americans who share a culture, a language and values of democracy and freedom. Hope we can get our house in order before the USA is brought down by wing nuts on the far right. Thanks for the wonderful article. Happy Canada Day!
"It is up to you to keep your potatoes out of my pig." Loved the Pig War story. To this day, every few years I re-read "Calico Captive," by Elizabeth George Speare. Much of the book takes place in the Montreal of 1754 and tells the story of an American teen and the French Canadian girl who befriends her.
Been meaning to read that as I loved “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” when I was young from the same author. I reread that every few years too.
That was a wonderful book, too.
That was one of my favorite books when I was younger! Now I'm going to request it from the library and reread it.
Thank you from 🇨🇦.
Happy Canada Day to my many Canadian friends! And thanks for that history lesson, Steve. While I consider myself a student of history, much of that story is one I was unfamiliar with. So thanks for what you do every day to make us all so much smarter! And keep it up!
What a lovely piece - thank you, Steve. As a first-generation immigrant (I came as an exchange student and ended up with a bunch of degrees and a husband) I was immediately struck by the openness of Canadians to new perspectives, ideas, and people. A country that, moreover, does not discriminate based on who or what you are, or where you were born - as a result, I was privileged to join Canada's diplomatic service. I ultimately served as Ambassador in a European country close to my country of birth.
"Canuck21," people would tell me there. "That doesn't sound very Canadian!" And I always answered, "Sure it does. As Canadian as Johnson, Tremblay, Wong, Two Bears, Chowdhury, Kryszinsky, or al-Saafi."
Love this place - universal health care; right to choose who you marry, or whether you want to give birth; campaign finance laws that are enforced; a non-political Supreme Court with ethics guidelines that one of them actually took so seriously, he resigned due to the *appearance* of an issue; uniform election laws and processes that don't change by county; a policy-based immigration system that mostly works and is supported by most people... I could go on, but I have a BBQ to prepare.