Tartan Day for Canada?
Should Scots' contributions to Canada be recognized?
A Bill for Tartan Day is before the House of Commons right now.
This is to recognize that the Scots have made important contributions
to the building of Canada as a nation. Afterall Canada's first
prime minister, John A. MacDonald was born in Scotland, as was the
second – Alexander Mackenzie. British Columbia's first governor
James Douglas was born in Guyana to a Scottish father and Creole mother
and sent to Scotland to be schooled.
When
CBC created “The Greatest Canadian”, it was Tommy Douglas, the Scottish
born father of Medicare, who rose from the cream of the crop to be
number one.
But
it was also the Scots who played a big role in creating and supporting
the Chinese head tax, when it was feared that incoming Chinese were
taking jobs away from whites. When Scottish nanny Janet Smith was
murdered in Vancouver, there was an “ethnic war” between Scots and
Chinese, when a Chinese house boy was accused, then aquitted…
described in the book Canadian Holy War A Story of Clans, Tongs,
Murder, and Bigotry by Ian Macdonald and Betty O'Keefe.
Ahhh….
such was the early conflict between Scots and Chinese in BC's early
pioneer life, before they started falling in love with each other and
having babies together. This is what makes organizing Gung Haggis
Fat Choy Robbie Burns Days so satisfying. Nothing like a little
“Romeo and Juliet” to make everybody a little gushy.
Hmmm…. maybe I should write a story about a Scottish-Canadian maiden
falling in love with a Chinese-Canadian male and set in in pioneer BC?
Anyways… The Calgary Saint Andrew – Caledonian Society's website has created the following information. www.standrew-caledonian.ab.ca
Tartan Day needs
your help! Get on board!
TARTAN DAY FOR CANADA
A Bill to recognize the contribution Scots and their descendants have made to the development
of Canada has been introduced by Peter Stoffer MP of Nova Scotia. It is a private member’s Bill
and must pass before the closing of this session sometime before summer recess.
WHAT
Bill C-402 An Act Respecting Tartan Day (6th of April each year)
WHERE
Parliament of Canada – Ottawa
WHY
Whereas Canadians of Scottish descent have played an influential role in the
development of Canada …
WHEN – NOW
First reading passed 12 February 2007
HOW
Mail can be sent postage-free to a Member of Parliament at the House of Commons address.
Contact your Member of Parliament and any others you like by mail,
phone, email and/or fax and express your support for Bill C-402.
Contact List of Calgary and Area Members of Parliament
(click here)
You can contact any Member of Parliament.
A List of Members of Parliament for Canada can be found at: www.parl.gc.ca
Select your language
Select Members of Parliament (Current)
The Bill
You can read the bill at: www.parl.gc.ca
Select your language
Select Bills
Select House of Commons – Private members
and then scroll down the long list to C-402
Remember, Canada’s first Prime Minister – John Alexander MacDonald, Glasgow 1815
Alberta’s first Premier – Alexander Cameron Rutherford, Osgoode, ON 1857 (Scottish descent)
Calgary’s first Mayor – George Murdoch, Paisley 1850, and,
Canada’s Citizen of the 20th Century – Tommy Douglas, Falkirk 1904
For Statistics Canada 2001 information on Population by selected ethnic origins go to – www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo27v.htm
Tartan Day is based on the date of the Declaration of Arbroath. To read the declaration, click here.