Canada Day BBQ – Happy 140


So this July 1st we decided to celebrate … even if we were 24 hrs driving time from the nearest border. So we gathered bunch of our friends over … heated up our BBQ … and chowed down on burgers and beer; topping things off with some great homemade rhubarb/strawberry/apple crisp … yummy!
Most people (including myself) arrived post the Sunday afternoon heatstroke workout we like to call Ultimate. And we spent the rest of the evening chilling and watching the kids tear around the house like they had too much pop (who did that I say … who!!!). Anyway, it was an blast finally being able to open the house up to our friends for a get-together (it only took 9 months).
Anyways … Owen continues to grow like a weed hitting 8lbs 12oz last week at the 2-wk doctor visit. Joe too continues to grow, adapting more and more to his role as older brother. It was strange … we had a house full of children at our place this weekend and THEN realized that 50% were ours … sobering.
Quick notes for our southern friends

  • France ceded the territories of New France to Britian in 1763, end of the “Seven years’ war”
  • Britain ruled Canada between 1763 to 1867 as provinces
  • The French Habitants were left their religious, political and social culture
  • Canada was known as Upper and Lower Canada until 1840 and became the United Province of Canada
  • Famous 49th Parallel North was defined in 1818
  • Canada became a federation in 1867 (known as Confederation) in Charlottetown, P.E.I
  • Canada in 1867 had six colonies: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, the Province of Canada (now Quebec and Ontario) (see map)
  • First Prime Minister was John A. Macdonald, current (2007) is Stephen Harper
  • Rupert’s Land was owned by the Hudson Bay Company (HBC), still around today – oldest commercial company in N.America (founded 1670)
  • Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) connected the east to west to north and solidified the country
  • Manitoba joined Confederation in 1870
  • British Columbia joined in 1871
  • Alberta and Saskatchewan joined in 1905
  • Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949
  • Nunavut was formed in 1999 as it split from the Northwest Territories, thus forming 10 provinces and 13 territories within the country
  • Current flag adopted 1865
  • Canada is the worlds second largest country in land mass with a population of almost 33 million
  • Canada fought the US in 1812-1815 (US National Anthem was written after the defense of Ft. McHenry 1814)
  • Canada saw two rebellions in 1837 and 1838
  • The Canadian National Anthem was composed in 1880, the words were altered slightly in 1968 and it was adopted as the official anthem in 1980 (see lyrics)
    (thanks to Wikipedia for the references)
    (And yes … this was backdated)

  • Comments are closed.