News from Canada's biggest party

By Dick Hirsch

For years I’ve been told that the Canadians really know how to throw a party. I saw occasional evidence of that characteristic years ago with the locals frolicking at beach parties at Sherkston and various other nearby locations, and more recently in the parking lot at Ralph Wilson Stadium before and after Bills games. I still remember the description of a friend who years ago attended a Grey Cup game with a group of fans of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He insisted that many of his companions began opening beer bottles with their teeth, a clear indication of their partying experience.

But those fragmentary images reflect only tendencies, not a true party atmosphere. I had never been invited to a Canadian party but that changed this year. I invited myself to Canada Day, the July 1 holiday that marks the formation of modern Canada in 1867. It can best be described as a combination of New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July.

Canada Day is celebrated all across the county in towns and cities large and small with parades, music, speeches and fireworks. However, I’m not reporting on a day spent in Welland or St. Catharines, watching the bagpipers and the vets from the local Canadian Legion Post marching down King Street. Those are probably stirring in their own way, but you would get a better glimpse into the hearts and minds of our northern neighbors if you considered a visit to a larger city where both the crowds and the budgets are larger.

Toronto? Montreal? Oh, they probably would be worth the trip, but while I don’t advise against holiday visits there, I’m here to tell you that the place to see the Canadians in action is the nation’s capital, Ottawa. Crowd estimates there ranged from 100,000 on Parliament Hill for one event, to a total of 350,000, including that location as well as two nearby Ottawa parks and another in Gatineau, the Quebec city just across the Ottawa River.

My wife, Lynn, and I were embedded in the crowds surging through the streets, shuffling really, shoulder to shoulder, heading in the general direction of Parliament Hill. We did manage to see the changing of the guard, with the band and the platoon marching smartly, resplendent in their traditional garb; towering black shakos, bright red tunics and black slacks. Red---the brilliant, fire engine variety---is clearly the color of choice. I returned home with a memento, a red T-shirt which I will reserve for certain occasions.

There was little time for talking with strangers but I managed a question or two. I found participants from both Toronto and Montreal who had left their homes and to celebrate in Ottawa.

“Oh, sure, we have Canada Day in Toronto,” the one man said, “but not like here. This is special. This is the place.” In another conversation, a woman from Montreal agreed, saying all Canadians recognize that Ottawa invented and then perfected the observance of Canada Day.

Apparently Queen Elizabeth II thought so, too, because she joined the party, adding a royal flair to the occasion. Did her presence add to the excitement? I’m sure it did, although the newspapers were reporting a study that indicated that 48 percent of all Canadians surveyed really are not much interested in royalty these days. They agreed that the monarchy is “a relic of our colonial past that has no place in Canada today.” Despite that finding it was clear that the 84-year old Queen Elizabeth still has rock star appeal, even to younger attendees. With 58 years on the throne, she is the only Queen older Canadians have ever known.

It has never been simple to discern the differences between Canadians and Americans. We speak the same language, although there are some clues in speech patterns. There are style differences in the clothing. They have always seemed more respectful of authority, more patriotic. They stand very erect when the band plays “Oh Canada,” and when the Queen’s motorcade arrives, they strain to spot the Queen and then wave their greetings, even though they must realize the crowd is too large for her to notice any individuals.

I never planned on seeing the Queen, but as the cavalcade passed I stood on tiptoe and scanned the slow-moving cars. There she was, seated just behind the driver, visible with her red and white hat and white gloves. I waved. She waved back. It was a memorable moment, eh?

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