Monthly Archives: May 2007
One Less Traitor in Ottawa
| 5/11/2007 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Gille Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois in the House of Commons aka the Gang of Traitors has decided to resign as leader in order to run for leadership of the sovereignist Parti Quebecois, the Quebec provincial party bent on taking that province out of Canada. Duceppe is an excellent politician and if not a traitor to the country, he would have made true leadership material for this country, something we are badly in need of.
It is bad enough that a party exists in any province bent on breaking up the country, when a party exists at the federal level taking up spaces which belong to loyal Canadians, I have a problem with that. So, good politician or not, that is one less traitor in the House of Commons and just 48 more to go before the House is fully restored to loyal Canadians.
As much as I think Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party and Jack Layton, leader of the NDP could tie in a competition for Flake of the Year, I find it ludicrous that she’s not allowed to take part in national leadership debates but Duceppe is.
While the Green Party has not elected an MP to the House of Commons they do receive a significant portion of the popular vote from across the country. The Bloc on the other hand, aside from being traitors to the country in their quest to have Quebec separated from the rest of Canada, fields candidates in only one province.
The Green Party is at least a national party, the Bloc is nothing more than a bunch of traitorous provincial hacks taking up space in our national Parliament.
State Funeral Unlikely
| 5/10/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians, Canadian News, General |
The family of Dwight Wilson has appealed for privacy as they prepare to bury their patriarch who was one of two remaining Canadian veterans of World War One. His death yesterday leaves one survivor, John Babcock of Spokane, Washington, who has been an American citizen for 60 years. Mr Wilson will have a private family funeral with military honours which pretty much eliminates a state funeral for the last surviving WW1 veteran.
Last fall the Dominion Institute gathered 90,000 signatures on a petition to the government to have a state funeral for the last WW1 veteran. The House of Commons unanimously supported the proposal. State funerals are usually reserved for prime ministers and governor generals. It is possible for others to receive a state funeral but has rarely occurred. Babcock has previously made it clear that he doesn’t want a state funeral. His American citizenship may make it difficult to do so.
The Prime Minister may choose to personally offer Mr Babcock a state funeral. Since the purpose of the state funeral is to mark the passing of the living memory of the ‘Great War’, the last of the generation of Canadians who served in a conflict which was part of the shaping of the nationhood of this country.
While it takes more than war to define a nation, the mark that it makes on a nation can not be ignored. Over 600,000 Canadians joined up to serve in WW1 and over 60,000 gave their lives in that conflict. It would be fitting for some manner of marking the passing of the last of their generation. While not done before it somehow wouldn’t be impossible to hold a state service for that purpose.
Then there was ONE – Canadian WW1 Veteran Dwight Wilson Dies
| 5/9/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians, Canadian News |
Dwight Wilson, one of two remaining Canadian World War 1 veterans, died today at the age of 106. The other WW1 Canadian veteran has resided in the US since the 40′s. There is no word yet if the Canadian government is going to hold a state funeral for Mr Wilson.
I recently spoke to the Vice President of Ontario Provincial Command of the Royal Canadian Legion. He had met Mr Wilson in a VIP room prior to the Vimy Dinner held at Br. 258 Highland Creek in Scarborough. He was delighted at having met Mr Wilson. He commented how alert and aware he was and just a pleasure to converse with.
Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto announced his passing:
The flags have been lowered to half-mast at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada’s largest veterans care facility to honour the passing of Percy “Dwight†Wilson, First World War veteran.
A resident of the veterans’ wing at Sunnybrook, Mr. Wilson passed away peacefully this morning at the age of 106. His passing leaves one known surviving Canadian First World War veteran, Mr. John Babcock who lives in Spokane, Washington. (read more)
You may want to read the Sunnybrook link. It contains a very detailed biography of Mr. Wilson along with some excellent pictures.
Veterans Affairs Canada issued this statement today:
The Honourable Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs, encouraged Canadians to celebrate and remember the life of Canadian First World War Veteran Dwight Wilson who passed away at age 106 on May 9, 2007 in Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Wilson was the youngest of the last two remaining Canadian First World War Veterans known to the Canadian Government.
“I would like to express my sympathy to the family and friends of Dwight Wilson, who died today at age 106,” said Minister Thompson. “Every time we lose Veterans such as Mr. Wilson, we lose a direct link to an important part of our history. This loss reminds us of how important it is for all Canadians, especially youth, to reflect on our past and celebrate Veterans’ contributions to our country.”
Mr. Wilson was born February 26, 1901 in Vienna, Ontario. In 1915, he trained as a bugler in the militia and in July of the following year, at age 15, he enlisted. Discharged twice for being too young, the determined boy showed bravery at a very young age. Since June 2006, Mr. Wilson had been a resident of Kilgour wing at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, in Toronto, Canada’s largest Veterans’ care facility.
With the passing of Mr. Wilson, the only known surviving Canadian Veteran of the First World War is John F. Babcock of Spokane, Washington.
We Will Remember them.
Canadian “Spy” Coin Uncovered
| 5/7/2007 | Posted by Patti under Canadian News |
Last fall American Defense contractors dealing with highly sensitive material while traveling in Canada proved themselves to be extremely alert to the potential diabolical ability of Canadians to commit espionage.
Coins embedded with a mysterious red flower didn’t fool them in the least. Knowing they were dealing with nano-technology spying devices they immediately filed highly classified reports of an espionage threat to their American bosses.
Despite denials from Canada’s foreign affairs, detailed investigations were carried out and finally, some six months later the Americans have the answer! The coins contain technology that stops the colour on the poppies commemorating the combat sacrifices of Canadians from rubbing off the commemorative coins that were first issued two years ago.
The espionage reports were somewhat correct, the coins were planted in their pockets, likely after undercover dealings at the local Tim Hortons.
I just knew that we couldn’t fool those Americans, they just know we Canadians wouldn’t bother commemorating our war dead at Remembrance Day sixty years after the end of WW2 by issuing a coin. Wonder what they will do when they start discovering the one with the pink ribbon on for breast cancer?
Follow Me!