A blessed Canada-Dominion Day to all our readers, on which we celebrate the official founding of ‘Canada’ as a (mostly) independent part of the British Commonwealth since the signing into effect of such in 1867, with the ‘province of Lower and Upper Canada’ (later Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Although we gained further sovereignty, of a sort, with Pierre Trudeau’s 1982 Constitutional Act – along with his bland, yet insidious, Charter of Rights and Freedoms – we are still technically a democratic-constitutional monarchy, with full authority residing in the Queen, through her representative, the Governor-General, who bestows authority to rule on the Prime Minister, his cabinet and party, and the parliament overseen by them, whether as a majority or minority rule.
As someone once quipped: North of the 49th parallel we value equality; south of it, they treasure freedom.
For all the talk of democracy, we hoi polloi don’t have much say in Canada, except a vote for a member of parliament every four years or so, who cannot do much but sit mutely by. Back to Pierre Trudeau, who spoke more truth than he perhaps wanted to let on, when he called such back-bench MP’s ‘nobodies’. Power now resides in the Prime Minister and his ‘chosen few’, his cabinet ministers, and, if a crisis arises, or is some awful law cannot get through parliament, in unelected judges. Hence, we have foisted upon us everything from unrestricted abortion, euthanasia, same-sex ‘marriage’, transgenderism, vague ‘hate’ laws restricting freedom of speech, at least of the conservative variety, even reasonably put forward (the other side can spew vitriol all it wants), and now police-state Covid laws, with rumours that little tyrant Trudeau may force us all to wear masks in all public spaces. Intervene, o Queen! By that, I mean either Elizabeth exercising her rightful authority, or, more likely, Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, setting things right by the divine power of her Son (see our original anthem in an accompanying post).
But, as the priest at Mass this morning reminded us, a Jesuit, like those who first evangelized this fair nation, let us today rejoice in what Canada does have: Not only an unsurpassed scenic beauty, as well the freedom to move about and explore that beauty. We also, so far, and far more importantly, have the freedom to worship, associate, write and teach and criticize the government, our dear leaders, to our heart’s content. Yes, such freedom is being whittled away, especially in our public institutions, so let us fight and defend our freedom, and use wisely what freedoms we do have.
The best way to do is to keep firmly in our hearts and minds that Canada was founded on Christian principles, as embodied in the one, true, holy Catholic and apostolic Church, spread and watered by the blood of martyrs, apostles, missionaries, pioneers, and all the noble first dwellers in this land. We have made ourselves slaves by jettisoning that heritage, for a government can only control people who, at some level, want to be controlled, and have sold their birthright for a bowl of milquetoast Liberal-esque pottage.
We would do well to honour their memory by waking up, and telling the powers that be that enough is enough, and that the only way to live, is to live free.
Our Lady, Saint Joseph, Saint Anne, and all the holy Martyrs, priez pour nous!