It’s been said that if America is a country brought about by
revolution, then Canada is a country brought about by evolution.
And that’s not a bad thing. Perhaps we do not have quite the
flair or make quite a splash as our neighbours but we, as a country, are
stalwart and steadfast, hardworking and hearty. Not prone to violence
but unwaveringly brave when called upon.
I was often taught that Canadian history was a terribly
boring affair, however I have come to believe that the only thing boring about Canadian
history is the way it has been portrayed - or perhaps, received. The real stuff is exciting and dramatic
and epic. There are many stories of courage and sacrifice, innovation and
excellence, and, every once in a while,
a Canadian insisting that we be recognized as such.
One such a Canadian was our eighth prime minister, and the
face on our $100 bills, Sir Robert Laird
Borden. He was a conservative Anglican born in Grande Pre, Nova scotia in 1854
and he guided our country through a massive turning point in our history - “the Great War.”
“Canada entered the
war a colony, she emerged from it close to an independent state” Historian
Arthur Lower
“It is a myth that Canadians won their independence without
bloodshed. Certainly, there political independence was won at great cost in the
crucible of World War 1” Will Ferguson
Borden and Winston Churchill - 1912
Borden, like any other man, had his faults and made his
mistakes (there was the Conscription Crisis and , of course, the “temporary”
Income Tax), however it was his unrelenting push for Canadian equality with
other countries that helped shape who we are today. It is worth noting that Borden was also responsible
for women’s suffrage in Canada.
In 1917 Borden took the lead for all of Britain’s Dominions
when he drafted “Resolution IX” insisting
that all dominions receive full recognition as “autonomous nations of an
Imperial Commonwealth”. After this
resolution was passed, at some consternation to Britain, Jan Smuts, The South African
minister of defence said to Borden “You and I have transformed the structure of
the British Empire.”
Furthermore, after the Great War and Canada’s proportionally
immense contribution, Borden refused to let Britain sign the Treaty of Versailles
on Canada’s behalf but took his own pen to it in a symbolic but historically
altering fashion.
“It can hardly be expected that we shall put 400,000 or
500,000 men in the field and willingly accept the position of having no more
voice and receiving no more consideration that if we were toy automata” Robert
Borden
When the Americans resisted the Canadians and Australian
having their own seat on the newly formed League of Nations, it was the British
PM who pointed out that each country had lost more men than the U.S.A. and from a much smaller population.
Nearly 620,000 Canadians served in World War 1 and over 66,000
died in it – another 172,000 or more were wounded. The latter group included my
great grandfather who suffered the effects of mustard gas for the duration of
his life and his brother who lost a limb at Vimy Ridge.
Robert Borden, just one of our citizens who have made this
country a great one! Happy Canada day!
Sources: Canadian History For Dummies ( Will Ferguson), Wikipedia.com ,
