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A ROYAL CROWN, as ever, to OUR SOVEREIGN LADY THE QUEEN for her gift to the St. Mark's Heritage Foundation of Port Hope, Ontario. Chairman Robert Fair announced the gift towards the historic building's $700,000 restoration campaign. Built in 1822, it was the Parish Church of the late Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey, who is buried in its Churchyard. Her Majesty worshipped there at least once during her stays in Port Hope, where she resided during the rest periods of several strenuous Royal homecomings. (Information and donations: Box 34, Port Hope, Ontario L1A 3V9)
CROWN to HRH THE PRINCE ANDREW for accepting, at the suggestion of her Majesty the Queen, an offer for HRH to become Patron of The ROYAL ALBERTA UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE. Announcing this honour at the Institute's Annual Meeting, The President reported that the Institute is the first of this type to have a Royal Patron!
CROWN to HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA for his enthusiastic defence of the Canadian Monarchy in ROYALTY magazine (Vol. 14, No. 4). His Excellency gave a succinct and accurate overview of his Vice-Regal duties, including the admission that when he visits abroad, his function is to represent the Queen of Canada overseas
: a nomenclature which makes clear the dignity of HE's position. M. LeBlanc went on to say that The Monarchy encourages the tolerance and acceptance of others that make up Canada.
In response to a question as to the existence of any republican movement in Canada, the Viceroy responded, I do not know of any organized movement in favour of a republic. When one looks at the cynicism that spreads through the media about all institutions, I am surprised at the feeling of Canadians when in the presence of Her Majesty. The Monarchy is a symbol which is still significant here.
The Governor General also spoke of how admirably HM handled the bogus call from a journalist purporting to be her Prime Minister (he too had been a victim, supposedly speaking to the Premier of Quebec), and of the mutual affection between The Queen Mother and Canada, revealing Her Majesty's regret that her health did not permit her to see the far north of Canada which had been less accessible when The King and she had visited. A tap of the MACE for M. LeBlanc's equivocal answer about support for The Prince of Wales as Canada's future King. The Viceroy mused, I do not know how affection will transfer to others. I would not hasten a judgement. The climate of the time is important and the historic symbols within Canada are also changing.
Hardly a ringing endorsement of Charles in the face of his hugely-successful April homecoming to his future Dominion! One might perhaps have expected The Queen's representative to have taken a more positive stance, a point made by The Dominion Chairman to His Excellency in an October 8th letter. Overall, however, a most positive interview, continuing the very different tone of Rideau Hall vis a vis the Monarchy, as begun in the Hnatyshyn years, and clearly reflecting the influence of Secretary to The Governor General JUDITH LAROCQUE.
CROWN to Quebec Lieutenant Governor JEAN-LOUIS ROUX for his dignity, selflessness and sense of propriety in the Vice-Regal Office as he resigned his Commission in the face of concern over his admission that he had worn a swastika on his lab coat in 1942.
CROWN also to THE GOVERNOR GENERAL, SENATOR JACQUES HEBERT, THE GLOBE & MAIL and its columnist MICHAEL VALPY for supporting M. Roux in his hour of trial and for exposing the disgusting hypocrisy of Quebec Separatists who condemned M. Roux's student folly, a stupid gesture
, as he himself called it in ringing declarations, while conveniently overlooking the racism both explicit and implicit so fundamental to Quebec's Nationalist movement. His Honour had made clear that he was well aware of his reserve powers should he be asked to give Royal Assent to some extra-constitutional act of the Quebec Government, a stance which infuriated what Senator Hebert called the separatists and other crypto-separatists.
Hebert concluded his Senate speech by stating, The resignation of this profoundly honourable man is the triumph of stupidity, ignorance, malevolence and intolerance.
A Nov. 6 editorial in The Globe & Mail ended with this fine sentiment: The truth is, for all their sanctimonious declarations, the secessionists have trafficked in the veiled language of prejudice and ethnicity for years. In resigning his office, Mr. Roux showed an honour, and honesty, beyond the capacity of his self-righteous detractors to understand
.
MACE to Separatist Quebec Premier LUCIEN BOUCHARD for closing down Quebec City's Government House in a fit of pique because the National Assembly could not constitutionally elect
the new Lieutenant Governor. Perhaps it is no bad thing for a would-be despot who feels threatened by Civil Servants' communicating in the English language to be seen to feel so intimidated by a mere residence, the potent presence of our country's principal guarantor of freedom: The Canadian Crown!
CROWN to retiring Ontario Lieutenant Governor H.N.R. HAL
JACKMAN. His Honour occupied an unenviable position in following the popular Lincoln Alexander. But he developed his own style in the Vice-Regal post, winning plaudits for his outspoken public defence of the Monarchy and exposition of its useful role in Canada during its anni horribli
, and continuing both the royal and his own family traditions of philanthropy by generously endowing The Lieutenant Governor Awards for the Arts.
MACE to MR. SPEAKER GILBERT PARENT (L: Welland-St. Catharines-Thorold) who in a June 17 letter persists in his mistaken claim (first made to new Parliamentary Pages, as reported in a previous issue of CMN) that we do not have royalty in Canada.
Parent's lengthy letter traces the gradual abolition of so-called British honours and titles
to Canadians, and the creation of The Order of Canada in 1967. Incredibly, the First Commoner has confused nobility
or hereditary titles and British honours
with royalty
! Indeed his error remains consistent and his position obdurate, as he ends his letter with the amazing claim that Canada's position has not changed since 1935. We do not have royalty in Canada. We recommend a good dictionary for the genial Speaker, and a searching look at the staffing of his Office. And, oh yes, perhaps a refresher course in the Canadian Constitution before a certain distinguished Canadian's homecoming this July! I think she is royal.
Right?
CROWN to additional MP's who came forward to support the Oath of Canadian Citizenship remaining an Oath to The Sovereign: IAN MURRAY (L: Lanark-Carleton, Ontario) & RAYMOND SPEAKER (Ref: Lethbridge, Alberta). JOSEPH VOLPE (L: Eglinton-Lawrence, Ontario) wrote a carefully-neutral reponse to our inquirer, making one telling point that should be remembered in future debates: …there are many Parliamentarians who think the current wording of the Oath may not be strong enough to convey a desired loyalty and commitment to our country.
(emphasis his)
MACE to MP BRENDA CHAMBERLAIN (L: Guelph-Wellington) originator of a sincerely-inspired but muddled campaign for her Bill C-302, An Act to establish an oath of allegiance to the flag of Canada.
Quite apart from the American-style republicanism implicit in Mrs. Chamberlain's otherwise-commendable stated desire to encourage patriotism, Quebec League member Richard Thornton pointed out to Mrs. Chamberlain that, apart from the USA, very few other nations have such a pledge (only US possessions or former colonial interests such as Liberia) we should seek other and unique means to demonstrate our pride in our nation.
In a June 27 letter, Mrs. Chamberlain further clouded the waters by writing, Canada already has an Oath, although not official. My Bill would adopt an official Oath.
We await enlightenment, as do all the office-holders and individuals throughout the Dominion who certainly believe their Oaths as Privy Councillors, Judges, Police Officers, Barristers, MP's, MPP's and a host of other capacities are official.
That the facts sometimes get in the way of admirably-intended but distinctly amateur efforts does not, sadly, seem to deter their proponents nor a well-meaning but ill-informed citizenry, such as Oakville (Ont.) Councillor Kevin Flynn.
CROWN to Oshawa, Ont., Mayor NANCY DIAMOND who led the opposition to endorsement of the Chamberlain proposal at Durham Regional Council, saying an oath to the flag goes against Canada's constitutional structure. And to Ajax, Ont. Mayor STEVE PARISH who called the scheme crass Americanism
.
MACE to CBC RADIO NEWS who on July 11th reported that a Canadian man had received a lifesaving award from an international institution
at the hands of a cousin of The Queen.
Former Brant Chairman Don Carr remonstrated that commercial radio had managed to report both the name of the institution (The Royal Life-Saving Society) and Princess Alexandra without too much trouble. Have the words
asked Carr.royal
and princess
been removed from the CBC dictionary, except for scandal reports?
CROWN to CHRISTINA BLIZZARD, Toronto SUN columnist, for her articulate call for The Prince of Wales to become Ontario's next Lieutenant Governor. In a light-toned piece, Blizzard nonetheless pointed out Òeverything the monarchy has given this ProvinceÓ and stated. We see every day the advantage of having a head of state that is an institution above the pettiness of politics.
CROWNS to Victoria (BC) Times-Colonist Sports reporter CLEVE DHEENSHAW and Community Editorial Board member BRENT CAMERON writing in the Kingston (Ont) Whig-Standard for their thoughtful advocacy of the Monarchy in recent columns. Dheenshaw ridiculed the idea that the Monarchy means that Canada is subservient to Britain, pointing out The only capital to which we kow-tow is Washington DC.
He called the Monarchy a potent symbol of our differentness: I feel more Canadian by its enduring presence.
Cameron took the United Empire Loyalist perspective through most of his piece, concluding by calling the Crown an influence {that has} extended: a Canadian creed of tolerance and respect.
He called for the Citizenship Oath to the Queen to stand, stating that the monarchy is not just some nice lady with a British accent and gloves to match her handbag. Elizabeth II is the inheritor of an institution that has influenced our history more than any other.
CROWN TO UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO officials & St. Michael's College Professor (and former Toronto Branch Chairman) RICHARD TOPOROSKI for their parts in reinstating The Royal Anthem as part of the several Remembrance Day observances held around the campus. The Dominion Chairman and Vice-Chairman heard the strains of God Save the Queen
outside Hart House, where they were attending prayers which were offered and the Silence kept prior to the Canadian launch
of the Bickersteth War Diaries: a remarkable testimony to faith, courage and family from the letters and diaries of 7 brothers who served in The Great War.
MACE to the Primate of the Anglican Church, MICHAEL PEERS, who on this occasion changed the Prayer for the Forces to read our Forces
rather than The Queen's
which they indeed are both in The Book of Common Prayer and in fact!
TWO MACES, one to THE PARALYTIC INACTION OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS SUPPOSEDLY SWORN TO UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF THE CROWN, the other to the powers-that-be of CULTURES, the well-known chain of salad, sandwich and smoothie
fruit shakes (whose products we cheerfully admit are tasty) for their offensive abuse of propriety and (we are advised) breaking the law of the land with posters promoting their smoothies with a caricature of HRH The Prince of Wales and the slogan You can never be too rich or too thick.
We think most Canadians feel sufficiently secure about our way of life to be able from time to time to enjoy a good spoof of our Royals, as of other institutions, in the affectionate, if sometimes tasteless and occasionally ribald way well known to viewers of British comedy. But when the heir to the Throne is exploited for commercial purposes, and his intelligence questioned, we feel the perpetrator is far off base. We will not be patronizing Cultures in future. We hold our Constitutional Monarchy too dear. What is perhaps sadder is the lack of action taken by government officials when the poster was drawn to their attention by the Dominion Chairman before the campaign was launched. (The League has a mole in Cultures!) The Ontario Attorney-General failed to respond to a fax after a discussion with his Assistant. Nor did the Minister of Canadian Heritage despite a similar conversation with a member of her staff. Mrs. Copps' Department did respond &mash; by telephone — months afterwards, thanks to a referral from The Office of The Governor General, whom Mr. Aimers had also contacted. The basic line seemed to be, We know what they're doing is wrong and we tell them so (by phone) but they know that it is our policy not to take action.
What a supine view of this aspect of our Heritage and Constitution! What an abandonment of duty, of pride and of sheer decency!
This page was last updated at 7:00 AM on 03/23/1997 by M.D.S.G.
