Friday, July 01, 2005

O Canada!

Today is Canada day, and liberals all over the US are celebrating by reevaluating their ability to secure gainful employment in our fair cousin to the north. Canada passed this week legislation allowing same sex couples the same rights as opposite sex couples in legal unions. And now, Sandra Day O'Conner has announced that she will be stepping down from the US Supreme Court and let the ultra-conservative gutting of the rights of women and minorities begin. Suddenly Canada, damn-cold-winters and all, seems extremely inviting.

But this is a day to celebrate all the memories I have of Canada. Being from Minnesota, I sometimes felt more akin to Canadians than to the southern half of my country. I often used "eh?" in sentences, and with my strong "u" in words like about, I could have blended in smoothly.

I've only visited Canada once on a French trip in Jr. High. I tripped around Quebec and Montreal for a week. It was a good time - and felt very grown-up.

My most enduring memory of Canadian exposure was at hockey games when the Maple Leafs or the Canadiennes would play the North Stars. We would stand and sing O Canada! over and over (because we did not know the other words to the song) during their national anthem. There is one singular moment in these adventures in hockey that I remember with incredible clarity. In 1980, some students took over the US embassy in Tehran. A few of the US embassy staff were able to avoid being captured and sought asylum in the Canadian embassy, then later smuggled out of the country. The weekend after these folks returned to the US, a Canadian team played the Stars and it is, perhaps, the only time that the opposing team received a standing ovation when they skated out on the ice...we sang O Canada! with gusto that day, I tell you.

I suppose if I'm going to emigrate, I'll need to learn the words...

4 comments:

Aravis said...

You and I both. I was ready to put Rehnquist on life support until Bush was out of office if necessary. *G* O'Connor's resignation is an unforeseen blow.

Anonymous said...

As A Canadian...I thank you for your comments and memories of Canada. Nice to hear some positive things from the south side of the border. Happy Canada Day!
In case I can't find your site in 3 days...Happy Independence Day!

P'tit-Loup said...

Although I do not celebrate Canada Day (I'm from Quebec and celebrate Saint Jean Baptiste, June 24). I really like your reminder, as well as the comment on the 1980 situation. That is how I came to the states. Greyhound bus, in a gesture of thanks to Canada for helping some Americans leave Iran, issued 1 month ticket for $100. I traveled from Montreal to San Francisco on that ticket and decided I liked the central coast the best.

Anonymous said...

If you want to imigrate to Canada I will be the first of many to wellcome you.