Canada Day 2021 is about remembrance for those who suffered in the residential school system. Canada Day is multilayered in a time where John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada, is remembered as the architect of the residential school system.
215 children at a Kamloops residential school was horrible enough. 751 is a number better suited for career home runs than unmarked graves of Indigenous children and perhaps adults; that is the number from the Marieval Indian Residential School, about 140 kilometres east of Regina, Saskatchewan on the Cowessess First Nation territory.
The newest discovery was 182 human remains in unmarked graves by the Lower Kootenay Band in British Columbia near Cranbrook.
Victoria (BC), Penticton (BC), Churchill (MB) and La Ronge (SK) are among Canadian cities not having Canada Day festivities in 2021.
This is the 154th anniversary of the founding of the Dominion of Canada with Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The day was called Dominion Day until 1982. A lot of Canadians will celebrate Canada Day with fireworks and food; a bit of acknowledgment about the horrors of the residential school system is a very small favour to ask.
Orange has become the colour of choice to wear to reflect on the lost souls at these residential schools. Canada's colours are red and white, but orange is the colour of Canada Day 2021.
The Indian Residential School Survivors and Family organisation has a 24-hour crisis line at (866) 925-4419.
CanadianCrossing.com Indigenous coverage
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian society coverage
Canada Day 2021 is also about celebrations, especially with not having them in 2020. There is a lot of pent-up frustration given the COVID-19 pandemic. The last numbers I saw had Canada at 75% for the first dose but 23% for the second dose. The next 8 weeks speaks a lot about getting that second number higher.
Protests along the border of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were in reaction to loosening of travel restrictions followed by a quick reversal. Nova Scotia announced that travelers from New Brunswick will have to self-isolate upon arrival. This news came fewer than 24 hours after the province opened its borders with Prince Edward Island as well as Newfoundland and Labrador without isolation or testing requirements. Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin said the reversal came because New Brunswick opened its borders to Canadian travelers from outside the Atlantic region.
The Atlantic travel bubble was a lot better organised in 2020.
As for the national border with the United States, we still have no movement on when or how the border will reopen. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had mentioned a 75% fully immunized vaccine rate. While Canada shines on the world stage for first doses, the country is further behind the curve on fully immunized. Family, friends, and basic cross-border travel are waiting, perhaps, impatiently.
Celebrating Canada Day 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Canada Day reflections
Those in Western Canada are feeling the effects of the climate crisis. The heat is literally record-setting with Lytton, BC breaking the record Sunday with 46.6°C, according to Environment Canada. That was followed by new records 47.9°C (Monday) and 49.5°C (Tuesday). The town was literally on fire on Wednesday.
The previous record high temperature for the country was 45°C, set in Saskatchewan in July 1937.
The high in Vancouver, which conditions are normally cooler than the interior, on Monday was 41°C. Vancouver has been dealing with a lot of heat-related deaths.
For our American readers, factor that the normal body temperature of 98.6°F is 37°C. The Vancouver figure of 41°C works out to 105°F and the Lytton mark of 46.6°C works out to be 116°F. 49.5°C works out to 121°F.
Nahanni Butte, N.W.T. hit 38.1°C on Monday, a record for that region.
These numbers don't factor in the humidex (heat index in the U.S.).
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July 1 is more about moving apartments, especially in Montréal, in Quebec than celebrating Canada Day. Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day is the "equivalent" for the Quebecois.
One Quebec element that has most of Canada united is the Montréal Canadiens in the middle of the Stanley Cup final against Tampa Bay. The series is at 0-2 with the Habs only scoring 2 goals in 2 games. The teams are not playing on Canada Day or July 4. The 2020 NHL playoffs didn't start until August; in non-pandemic years, the season is long done before Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day.
Canada Day normally marks the opening of the NHL free agency season.
Newfoundland honours July 1 as Memorial Day for the extensive losses of about 700 soldiers at Beaumont-Hamel in 1916 during World War I.
My path down the TIFF Top 10 Canadian films of all time (2017)
Celebrating Canada Day 2016
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The Toronto Blue Jays are playing the Seattle Mariners on Canada Day in Buffalo, NY. The Blue Jays "home" game is a reminder that the MLB and MLS franchises are trapped within the United States waiting to play home games in their home cities and country.
The border opening and government approval might mean 2022 is the time they will shine on Canadian soil.
We thought MLB Network would pick up the Canada Day broadcast but we were sadly wrong. Canadians can watch on Rogers Sportsnet.
This also marks the second straight Canada Day without the CFL. August 5 is the designated day to start the 2021 CFL season. The federal government did agree to reduce the quarantine to 7 days for incoming American players.
Making the case for Canadian film in 3 parts
Bill C-10 gets to wait out the summer trapped in the Senate. The bill to update the Broadcasting Act passed the House but the Senate didn't have a whole lot of time to look over the fine details.
There is a lot to like about Bill C-10 in having streaming services that operate in Canada ("Netflix tax") help fund Canadian television and Canadian film, just like Canadian companies. What has been a stickler in the process is the uncertainty of average people who make some money off of YouTube, for example, also paying into the process.
There are 2 thought processes: 1) the Conservatives are making a huge fuss and the bill doesn't go that far; or 2) the bill does go that far.
Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault has done a terrible job at addressing the issue. The removal of Section 4(1) in April started the furor against the bill.
Mélanie Joly, who was Heritage Minister from 2015-2018 and is the current Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, seemed to have a better understanding of what needed to be done. Then again, the dynamic clearly has changed with Bill C-10.
The Broadcasting Act needs to be updated. That update shouldn't give broad powers to the CRTC to regulate the Internet.
The Senate and its committees would take up the bill starting the week of September 21, well, unless, the pundits are finally right and an election is called. Any legislation in limbo during an election would have to start from scratch.
We will go into more detail next week.
Mahmud Jamal would be Canada's first Supreme Court justice of colour
Today is the 75th birthday for former Canada Supreme Court Justice Rosalie Abella, whose retirement starts today. As we noted, the selection of Mahmud Jamal to replace Abella will be historical.
Matt Galloway from The Current on CBC Radio One did an outstanding interview with Abella looking back on her life and career.
Supreme Court justices and federal senators are required to step down when they reach 75.
Steven Page was the highlight of my Canada Day 2013
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Canada Day 2012 notebook: Poutine, Sarah McLachlan, and CFL on the computer
Bienvenue to Canada Day (2011)
How I spent Canada Day 2010
Celebrating Canada Day in the United States (2009)
We noted on Victoria Day that Canada doesn't have a permanent Governor General and the United States doesn't have a permanent U.S. Ambassador to Canada. Still true on Canada Day.
The Trudeau Government has no control over the latter but can deal with the former. The political pundits are howling for a fall election. Having a permanent Governor General is a smart idea heading into a potential election. As we noted, "Canada Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Wagner has been the acting governor general since January. Wagner is the head of Canada’s judicial, executive and legislative branches of government. That scenario should be tenuous at best, especially with a minority government." Still true.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did meet with Queen Elizabeth II at the G7 in Cornwall, UK last month. Technically, the Governor General pick needs the consent of the queen.
CBC Radio's The House is one of many who ask whether Canada should have an Indigenous governor general.
photo credit: CTV Vancouver
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