Tag Archives: Sir John A. MacDonald

Does The Face Matter?

The Bank of Canada has announced that the portrait of  Sir Wilfred Laurier will remain on the Canadian five dollar bill. You probably didn’t realize he was on it. The decision comes as a surprise in a way. The government had announced their intention to remove Sir Wilfred and had circulated a list of eight […]

Bellvue House

Sir John A. Macdonald has been in the news a lot lately, and not much of it was complimentary. Strange for someone who died in 1891. I’ve been thinking I should write about the resurgent Macdonald controversy, and I do plan to do so when work calms down a bit. Maybe this post from 2016 […]

What Is Valid Protest?

Black Lives Matter was in the news again on the weekend. Three protesters were arrested in Toronto for vandalizing statues. Their lawyer was outraged, saying Canadians are tired of this ongoing battle. She’s probably right – but the majority are probably more tired of the protesters. There seems little doubt as to guilt. The organization […]

Taking A Cruise

I know a lot of people who sing the praises of cruising. Book your vacation on a boat, see the odd port of call and sleep in the same bed each night. Taking a cruise through the Mediterranean or the Caribbean sounds like a great idea. Warm weather, calm seas, good food, how can you […]

Bellevue House IV

One last posting from Kingston’s Bellevue House, just some pictures so you can get the feel of this Victorian era home that is a Canadian National Historic Site.

Bellevue House III

When I want vegetables I usually go to the supermarket across the street, although there are other options in the neighbourhood, including a Wal Mart and a produce store. In 19th century Canada you got your vegetables by growing them. There’s a garden at Bellevue House in Kingston, tended by staff members in Victorian era […]

Bellevue House II

Canadians tend not to look to the past as much as we should. I’m not sure why. Maybe it is because we are a relatively young nation on a continent filled with immigrants. Our history, for most of us, leaves Canada fairly quickly for other countries. My family, as Canadian as they come, came here […]

Bellevue House I

It is a national historic site – and I suspect most Canadians have never heard of it. I visited Bellevue House recently, for the first time. It was something that I had been meaning to do for a decade or so, but it never seemed to be a priority. The trip to Kingston, Ontario was […]