The tighter security is probably prudent. If you are Canadian how will you be celebrating? Is Canada going in the direction you'd like? http://globalnews.ca/news/3568109/security-parliament-hill-canada-150/ CANADA June 30, 2017 1:41 pm Security tight as Parliament Hill gears up for Canada 150 By Monique Scotti National Online Journalist, Politics Global News A view of Parliament Hill on June 30, 2017. Monique Scotti/Global News The big celebrations might still be a day away, but hundreds of people were already lining up to visit a heavily secured Parliament Hill on Friday. Police and volunteers were provided with a sort of dress-rehearsal for Saturday’s main event, patrolling the rain-soaked Parliamentary Precinct and checking bags as tourists and locals made their way slowly up onto the Hill. Streets around the venue have already been closed down and barricades erected, with large concrete blocks moved into place at key intersections early Friday. Anyone wanting to access the secured area must go through a security screening, including bag checks and metal detectors. Monique Scotti @moniquescotti The line-up. And it's not even Canada Day! #Canada150 9:40 AM - 30 Jun 2017 7 7 Retweets 2 2 likes Police officers, some of whom carried rifles, were stationed along roads leading to and from the venue. The memory of terror attacks in Europe involving heavy trucks, vans and other vehicles is still fresh for the organizers of this weekend’s celebrations. “There were some people who were saying, ‘oh my god,’ (about the security)” said a man who gave his name as Paul. “I said to one man, ‘look, understand that what people are doing for you. They’re protecting you.’ I just took it as somebody who was ill-informed.” Asked if he’d come back up on Saturday, Paul — who lived in the United States for nearly a decade before moving back to Ottawa last fall — said to “put me down as a maybe.” The mood inside the secured area seemed relaxed and celebratory, in spite of the long lines outside. By noon, hundreds of members of the public, journalists, police officers and staff were all milling about, snapping pictures and chatting as sound-checks were completed on stage. Jillian, a Nepean native, was on the Hill with her extended family, including her 8-month-old son Bennett. “We thought tomorrow might be a bit too hectic for us with the baby, so this way we get to see a bit of the crowds without having to worry,” she said. The family agreed that security was as smooth as could be expected. “We were able to get through it pretty fast, but I think it’s going to be long tomorrow for people,” Jillian noted. Canada 150 quiz: How Canadian are you? Asked if the rainy weather was affecting their enjoyment of Canada’s 150th, she laughed and said the family was “pretty hardy.” The weather forecast may also put a damper on Saturday’s concerts, fireworks and other activities, however. Environment Canada is calling for yet more rain and thunderstorms throughout the day and into the evening. It’s been a month of unusually wet weather in the nation’s capital. Trudeau visits teepee Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also spotted on the Hill on Friday, rehearsing for his role as host of Saturday’s evening show, and visiting the teepee that has now been moved to the side of the main stage. READ MORE: Demonstrators erect teepee on Parliament Hill ahead of Canada Day Indigenous activists and leaders have set up the teepee as a means of re-occupying the land in front of the Parliament buildings, and on Friday it had become a central attraction on the lawn. Monique Scotti @moniquescotti The teepee, moved up next to the stage, now has loads of visitors, food, etc. #Canada150 9:07 AM - 30 Jun 2017 4 4 Retweets 5 5 likes A few dozen people were seen standing around it, asking questions and speaking to the activists. The teepee is expected to remain on the Hill for another three days. © 2017 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Here's more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-150-canada-is-cool-but-can-aspire-to-something-more-1498851707 OPINION COMMENTARY COMMENTARY (U.S.) At 150, Canada Is ‘Cool’ but Can Aspire to Something More If only we could establish the proper break between progressive values and progressive politics. Tourists in Niagara Falls, Ontario, June 21. By Michael Taube June 30, 2017 3:41 p.m. ET 19 COMMENTS The U.S. isn’t the only North American nation busy celebrating its birthday. On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act took effect, establishing the Dominion of Canada. Today, my country has the world’s second-largest land mass, its 10th-largest economy, and consistently high rankings in economic freedom and quality of life. But while Canada often punches above its weight, there’s always been some frustration that it doesn’t hold the title belt. “Canada has been modest in its history,” Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier said in 1904, “but its history, in my estimation, is only commencing. . . . The 19th century was the century of the United States. I think we can claim that it is Canada that shall fill the 20th century.” Laurier was too optimistic: The 20th century also belonged to the U.S., and unless Donald Trump changes things dramatically, the 21st probably will, too. Fair enough. America became a global superpower, Canada a traditional middle power with more influence than most. Together, our two countries formed a political friendship and economic alliance that has stood the test of time, and we have more similarities than most care to admit. Yet our histories are exceedingly different. Canada wasn’t born out of revolution and a desire to escape the shackles of monarchy. Canadians firmly believed in liberty and freedom, and still do, but never wanted a republic. Rather, we usually view our former colonial status as New France, and later British North America, in a respectful manner as a stage in our development. There have been occasional flare-ups, and fierce constitutional battles, between French-speaking Quebec and English-speaking Canada. These have led to terrorism, but not all-out civil war, and Quebec’s separatism has been drowned out in recent decades. Meanwhile, Canada remains an independent country within the Commonwealth. The British Parliament was involved, directly and indirectly, in any changes to the Canadian Constitution until the Canada Act in 1982 ended that requirement. While Canada’s history of responsible government goes back to 1848, it started using the Westminster model of representative democracy only in 1931. But Canada never slavishly followed its early territorial masters. The country always had an independent spirit and developed its own ideas and policies. Early prime ministers, such as Sir John A. Macdonald (Conservative) and Laurier (Liberal), worked to ensure that Canada had a seat and voice at the bargaining table. Canadians fought valiantly alongside the U.S. and other allies during the two world wars and Korea. True, the U.S. and Canada also fought each other in the War of 1812, but we needn’t belabor that one. What can Canadians do differently to ensure that this century, or any century, belongs to us, too? A fine start would be to establish a proper break between progressive values and progressive politics. Canada has leaned left for most of its existence. It’s more comfortable as a nanny state than a free-market champion. It prefers to jaw-jaw rather than war-war. It takes pride in leading the way, helping to shift popular opinion, on legal marijuana and same-sex marriage. This “certain boldness in social matters,” the Economist observed in 2003, meant that “a cautious case can be made that Canada is now rather cool.” While progressive Canadians cheered this analysis, they must have been disappointed when the same magazine wrote a decade later that Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper had made their country “decidedly uncool.” Mr. Harper’s government concentrated on supposedly lame things like lower taxes, smaller government, fiscal responsibility, trade liberalization, muscular foreign policy and stronger relations with the U.S. It earned respect for prudently handling the global economic crisis and for leaving the foreign-policy kiddie table to take a leadership role in world affairs. Canadian voters could handle this radical political change only for so long, however. They abandoned the Tory ship and gave the Liberals a mandate in 2015. Suddenly we were cool again. Justin Trudeau, our young, hip prime minister, has gradually reversed many of Mr. Harper’s policy gains. He has returned Canada to its traditional role abroad as a peacekeeper, renewed his supporters’ faith in social liberalism, and become the king of selfies. For the next 150 years and beyond, my hope is that Canada will reflect on its longstanding core principles, question them, and make the necessary improvements. That would mean reducing our state-centric approach to government, increasing the influence of free markets, and ensuring that individual rights and freedoms are properly defended and upheld by the constitution. Maybe then Barack Obama’s statement to the Canadian Parliament last year—“the world needs more Canada”—would be more than just a friendly sentiment. It would be closer to the world Laurier envisioned more than a century ago, and a nice birthday gift to boot. Mr. Taube, a Troy Media syndicated columnist and political commentator, was a speechwriter for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Here's more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/...rotests-resist-canada-day-170701191724798.htm Indigenous groups launch protests to resist Canada Day Aboriginal communities call for a day of action to draw attention to 150 years of 'racism, genocide and colonialism'. Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath The indigenous community considers Canada Day as a celebration of genocide and colonialism [Reuters]The indigenous community considers Canada Day as a celebration of genocide and colonialism [Reuters] Indigenous people across Canada are holding ceremonies, events and protests, saying there is nothing to celebrate as the country marks its 150th anniversary. On Parliament Hill in the capital Ottawa, where thousands are gathering to celebrate Canada Day on Saturday, groups of indigenous people and their supporters are "reoccupying" what they say is their land and drawing attention to the history and oppression of the aboriginal people. "The goal of the reoccupation is to express our indigenous sovereignty in the face of these toxic national celebrations," Freddy Stoneypoint, organiser of the demonstrations, told Al Jazeera. "As an indigenous person, this is an opportune moment to make our community, which has been rendered invisible by the colonial occupation, known," said Stoneypoint, a member of the Ojibwe nation. OPINION: 'Idle No More' and colonial Canada Stoneypoint is one of five Carleton University students who, together with the Bawating Water Protectors, have erected a teepee on the land that is the traditional territory of the Algonquin people. "When your identity and culture are suppressed, there shouldn't be celebrations," said Hamda Deria, another organiser. The group first tried to erect the teepee on Wednesday, but was met with "violent resistance" from the police which arrested nine people before releasing them later. After negotiations between the group and authorities, the teepee was erected at a ceremony near the main stage for the Canada Day celebrations. Daniel Cayley-Daoust @DanCayley Sacred fire lit on unceded Algonquin territory. Human chain formed around teepee and fire. #Reoccupation #Unsettle150 7:09 PM - 30 Jun 2017 44 44 Retweets 59 59 likes "This is not a protest. This is an active ceremony and an active resistance," Deria said. On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met a small group inside the teepee. Stoneypoint, who was not present at the meeting, said he viewed Trudeau's unannounced visted as a "violent act" that was only for "self-serving purposes". 'UNsettling Canada 150' In addition to the reoccupation teepee ceremony, many other indigenous groups and activists have planned events and protests for Saturday. Idle No More and Defenders of the Land, two networks of indigenous communities, have called for a National Day of Action, centred on the theme of "UNsettling Canada 150". Inspired by First Nations political leader Arthur Manuel, who died in January, organisers called on members of the indigenous community and its supporters to "educate" the Canadian population about their "right to self determination". "I do not wish to celebrate Canada stealing our land. That is what Canadians will be celebrating on July 1, the theft of 99.8 percent of our land, leaving us on reserves that make up only 0.2 percent of the territories of given to us by the Creator," Manuel wrote in his last article before he died. ....SJAP.... @FruittiLoopz Waters protectors, lands defenders and allies marching down to Queen's Park.#Unsettle150 #UnsettlingCanada #resist150 #TOpoli 11:40 AM - 1 Jul 2017 4 4 Retweets 3 3 likes Shawn Johnston, member of the Couchiching First Nation and part of the Idle No More communication team, told Al Jazeera the day of action was about "people stepping up, taking action and finding their own voices". He said they want to show the "conversation goes beyond 150 and that it must be acknowledged that we [the indigenous people] were the original caretakers of the the land". Russ Diabo, an organiser and member of the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake, added that the planned action was also an "alternative celebration" for the indigenous communities, highlighting their "survival … and right to self-determination" of their land, territories and resources. 'We are disposable' The Canadian government is spending more than 0.5bn Canadian dollars ($386m) on the celebrations, the highest ever spent on Canada Day.
Here's more: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...gives-150th-anniversary-a-defining-theme.html NewsCanada Indigenous discontent gives 150th anniversary a defining theme Justin Trudeau boasted that Canadians have “a subtle, quiet pride in knowing we are blessed to be citizens of the best country in the world!” By their dissent leading up to Canada Day and in the “reoccupation” protest on Parliament Hill in advance of Saturday’s festivities, Indigenous peoples succeeded in defining the sesquicentennial as an occasion to consider past harms, unmet promises and unfinished business, writes Jim Coyle. By JIM COYLENews Sat., July 1, 2017 A national anniversary — even one as ungainly in name as a sesquicentennial, as betwixt-and-between as 150 years — is a terrible thing to waste. By their perspective, presence and justness of their purpose, Indigenous peoples in Canada made sure this one wouldn’t be. “Everyone needs to understand that even as we celebrate, people have different perspectives and that there are a large number of Indigenous people who don’t feel like celebrating,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Saturday at Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill. Trudeau said First Nations wanted Canadians to “use this opportunity, when we come together, to reflect on our past and think about our future, to remind us that we have a lot of work to do in the future, together.” For much of 2017, the 150th anniversary of Confederation seemed a celebration without a theme. But by their dissent in the months leading up to Canada Day and in the “reoccupation” protest on Parliament Hill in advance of Saturday’s festivities, First Nations succeeded in defining the sesquicentennial as an occasion to consider past harms, unmet promises and unfinished business. The Chiefs of Ontario, for instance, voted earlier this month to boycott sesquicentennial events and urged the governments to use the word “acknowledge” rather than “celebrate” what they termed “150 years of Canadian colonialism.” Even as dignitaries were welcomed to the waterlogged Hill by Indigenous dancers, the DJ spinning music provided political subtext via a T-shirt upon which was written “Unceded.” In the recurring message that the human experience on what is now Canada is a great deal more than 150 years, and that the century and a half of Confederation has inflicted cruelty, suffering and sorrow on First Nations, the sesquicentennial was by and large framed. You might be interested in Michèle Moreau is the latest high profile inquiry staffer who has decided to step down from her position. Previously, Michael Hutchinson, the communications director left in February, then his replacement Sue Montgomery left in May and Tanya Kappo, a lawyer and one of the organizers of the Idle No More movement, left on June 15. The World's Largest Rubber Duck has made its official Canadian debut today in Toronto Harbour. The 6 storey tall duck is 78 feet wide and 89 feet long and weighs in at 30,000 lbs. Giant rubber duck makes a splash in Toronto Even so, there was much to celebrate and, all things considered, to brag about. Under unsettled skies that at times drenched partygoers across central Canada, Trudeau boasted that Canadians have “a subtle, quiet pride in knowing we are blessed to be citizens of the best country in the world!” And in not-so-subtle reference to a neighbour struggling through difficult times and often uncharitable leadership, Trudeau said: “We don’t care where you’re from, or what religion you practice, or who you love. You’re all welcome in Canada!” In advance of Canada Day, Historica Canada asked Canadians to describe their country in one word and received loud choruses of: Freedom. Home. Pride. Peace. Diversity. Beautiful. Equality. Sentiments of pride, gratitude and inclusion were expressed all across Canada on Saturday. The sesquicentennial was marked at the war memorial in St. John’s, N.L., and by a gathering of the tall ships in Charlottetown. It was celebrated by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arriving in a landau escorted by the RCMP’s Musical Ride onto Parliament Hill, by thousands of Ontarians at Baitul Islam Mosque in Vaughan, and, to much mystification, a huge yellow rubber duck in Lake Ontario. It was toasted by a “living” maple leaf formed by red-shirted citizens in Winnipeg’s fabled intersection of Portage and Main and a “living” Canadian flag similarly organized in Calgary It was feted at fireworks and music festivals, and by Canadians and well-wishers around the world. Queen Elizabeth reportedly wore a maple leaf brooch. Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney played ball hockey in Trafalgar Square. Even U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted out his good wishes. “Happy Canada Day to all of the great people of Canada and to your Prime Minister and my new found friend @justin Trudeau.” Up and down Yonge Street, there were Canadian flags on children’s strollers and mounted on car windows. There were red-and-white hair ribbons and Canadian flags on T-shirts. Among the paddles, canoes, beavers and maple leaves, other national clichés were duly worked over. In London, two Canadian teachers wore shirts bearing images of a bare-chested Justin Trudeau riding a moose, and explained to a CBC television interviewer that they’d been asked if it was an actual photo. Stephen Colbert’s Late Show tweeted that the comic, upon learning of Indigenous discontent, was surprised to learn that Canada had protests. “I figured that if they were angry about something, they just sent you a strongly worded apology.”
Here's more: http://www.newsweek.com/canada-armed-forces-first-nations-proud-boys-alt-right-631936 CANADIAN ARMED FORCES MEMBERS FACE EXPULSION OVER 'ALT-RIGHT' PROTEST BY TOM PORTER ON 7/5/17 AT 8:14 AM WORLD Five members of the Canadian Armed Forces who staged an alt-right counter-protest to a demonstration of indigenous activists in eastern Canada face expulsion from the military. On Saturday, the men, wearing black polo shirts and calling themselves the Proud Boys, confronted First Nations and other activists at a Canada Day protest at the statue of Admiral Cornwallis in Halifax, Novia Scotia. A former British governor of Nova Scotia credited with founding Halifax in 1749, Cornwallis issued a bounty for the scalps of Native Americans and remains a controversial figure in the province. Activists have demanded the removal of his name from public buildings and monuments. Screengrab of footage showing members of the Proud Boys alt-right group confronting protesters at a Canada Day demonstration at a statue of Admiral Cornwallis in Halifax. At the counter-protest, the Proud Boys members carried a Red Ensign flag, the predecessor of the current Canadian maple leaf flag, and accused the protesters of disrespecting Cornwallis. Several were subsequently confirmed to be Canadian Armed Forces members. General Jonathan Vance, chief of defense staff, said in a statement to CBC Tuesday night that the men involved in the protest had been removed from training and duties as the military reviews the case. “Their future in the military is certainly in doubt," he said. "We are the nation's protectors, and any member of the Canadian Armed Forces who is not prepared to be the defender we need them to be will face severe consequences, including release from the forces," said General Vance. On its social media page, the Proud Boys describes itself as a “fraternal organization of Western Chauvinists who will no longer apologize for creating the modern world.” It has been described as the “military arm of the Alt-Right,” a movement of white nationalists and anti-establishment conservatives. Members must reportedly undergo frat-style violent initiations, and have clashed with anti-fascist group members at protests. The group, which declares itself as anti-racism on its Facebook page, describes Cornwallis as its “Proud Boy of the Month.” In a post on Wednesday, it thanks the First Nations leader at Saturday’s protest for “making us famous,” and links to a report on the protest. The group was started last year by Gavin McInnes, co-founder of Vice magazine turned right-wing provocateur. A member of the group of Proud Boys protesters, Dave Elridge, told CBC that the group believed the protest was anti-Canada, and left soon after learning this was not the case. When contacted by Newsweek, the Proud Boys issued the following statement: "We are a multi-racial, inclusive fraternal organization. We have members from all races, religions and sexuality. We are not racists. We are not white supremacists. We do not speak to the media because you are fake news, you lie and you misrepresent facts to fit a factually incorrect narrative. If you refer to us as racists, we will not hesitate in considering legal action." After the protest, Mi'kmaq chief Grizzly Mama shaved her head and placed her locks at the foot of the Cornwallis statue, to symbolize the scalping of Native Americans under the orders of Cornwallis.
