On Monday, 1 March, St David’s Day, we celebrate Welsh heritage. In the most recent census, a little under two percent of Ottawa’s population claimed Welsh ancestry, those of Welsh origin have made a notable contribution to Canada.
Terry Matthews, born and educated in Wales came to Ottawa and as a serial entrepreneur stimulated the local hi-tech industry, founding Mitel and Newbridge Networks while becoming a billionaire.
Mabel Elizabeth (née Davies), an immigrant from Wales, was the mother of Erik Neilson, former Deputy Prime Minister in the Mulroney government from 1984 to 1986, and his better know brother, actor Leslie Neilson — “surely” you know that!
Much earlier, mapmaker David Thompson was one of the great explorers of the North West Company.
Others of Welsh origin include Leonard Brockington, first head of the CBC, novelist Robertson Davies, Powys Thomas, co-founder of the national theatre school, and Robert Harris, painter of the Fathers of Confederation.
If any of your ancestors had last name Jones, Davies, Williams, Evans, Thomas, Roberts, Lewis, Hughes, Morgan or Griffiths there’s a good chance you have Welsh heritage. Join in singing the Welsh National Anthem.
Quick! When you think of a day to commemorate our beloved Maple Leaf, what day comes to mind?
If you said “July 1st – Canada Day,” you’d be half-right. Because, dear readers, our beloved flag actually has its very own birthday, or inauguration day: February 15th.
Canada may be pushing 154 years old, but our flag is a spritely 56. From Confederation until February 14th 1965, the flag of the United Kingdom, the Royal Union Flag (a.k.a. the Union Jack) flew above Canada’s Parliament, though the Red Ensign, a combination of the Union Jack and the shield of Canada, had also been used since the 1870s, including on ships and government locations.
In 1960, then-leader of the opposition Lester B. Pearson said Canada needed its own flag separate from the United Kingdom’s to show we were an independent country. Upon his election in 1963, he made it a priority to resolve “the flag problem” in time for Canada’s 100th birthday celebrations in 1967.
“The Great Flag Debate” pitted those who wanted to retain something borrowed from our colonial history against those who wanted something new, and in case you’re curious, there was also something blue: one of the two unsuccessful designs, known as“the Pearson Pennant,” featured two blue stripes on either side of a white box and a sprig of three maple leaves in the centre. Sound familiar?
In the end, the winner was selected in a most Canadian fashion: by a 15-member committee, who narrowed down the thousands of submissions from Canadians to three finalists before landing upon a design proposed by George Stanley, Dean of Arts at Canada’s Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario.
Stanley’s design featured red stripes, which were modelled after those on RMC’s own flag, which itself was modelled after the Canada General Service Medal (1866-1870), predominantly awarded to those who fought against the Fenians.
The signature maple leaf sealed the deal, and the committee approved the design on October 22nd 1964. Approvals in the House of Commons and Senate followed, and finally Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II made it official on January 28th 1965.
A few weeks later, on February 15th, a public ceremony was held on Parliament Hill to raise the new flag at noon, and it’s flown there ever since.
Pearson’s words at the time were fitting: “May the land over which this new flag flies remain united in freedom and justice…sensitive, tolerant, and compassionate towards all.”
We should mention that the design of the Canadian flag we know and love is the product of many people, including Ontario M.P. John Matheson, who was a driving force behind the committee achieving consensus, heraldic artist Alan Beddoe, graphic designers Jacques St-Cyr and George Bist, Patrick Reid, whose team was responsible for designing the flag’s parameters, and Dr Günter Wyszecki, who determined the precise – and only – shade of red authorized to be used.
While Flag Day is not a statutory holiday, this year it falls on Family Day, so on Monday, let’s take a moment to celebrate the unifying symbol of our Canadian family, the Canadian flag.
The Chinese New Year (also called the Lunar New Year), denotes the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is celebrated on the new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20, so the date varies slightly from one year to another. This year, Chinese New Year is on February 12. As is customary, the New Year is ushered in with a big celebration on New Year’s Eve (Feb 11, this year).
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2021 is the year of the Ox. People born under the Ox tend to be more traditional, patriotic, faithful, have ideals and ambitions for life, and attach importance to family, work, and their children’s education.
The Chinese New Year’s Gala, a dazzling music and entertainment extravaganza, is viewed by 700 million people and is the largest TV show on the planet! Since 1983, China Central Television (CCTV) has broadcast it to the delight of numerous viewers across the globe. This spectacular program, a triumph of imagination and technology, consists of music and artistic dance performances, breath-taking acrobatics, magicians’ performances, comedy, Chinese opera, and more.
The New Year’s Gala is a contemporary take on several thousand years-old traditions. It is a happy occasion that gathers families together in the spirit of joy, connectedness and celebration. It is but the beginning of a ten-day long festival, also known as the Spring Festival. In addition to China, this colourful ten-day holiday is celebrated in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mauritius, the Philippines, Thailand, and in North America and Europe, wherever there is a significant Chinese population.
Read more about Chinese New Year rituals, food and customs:
As we pay tribute to Black Canadians who made significant contributions to Canadian society, we’d like to hear from you. Connect and tell us what you are doing to help create an inclusive neighbourhood – where all of us are valued and cherished.
Using your cell phone or camera, record a video (maximum 2 minutes) video of yourself or your friends, and share your thoughts. Record your video in either English or French. For better quality footage, please keep your cell phone in a horizontal position. When you press “Record” please provide 3 seconds of silence or a smile, before and after your message.
Please start your video:
My name is ________
This Black History Month, here is what I want to say to all my Hunt Club neighbours…
By sending your video you are giving us permission to post it on our social media platforms for the purpose of promoting and celebrating Black History Month, with this year’s theme “Future is Now”.
We will be posting videos on this page, and social media between Feb 16 and 28.
Keep coming back to this page, and like our page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join us and take part in this worthy initiative!
On Monday, 1 March, St David’s Day, we celebrate Welsh heritage. In the most recent census, a little under two percent of Ottawa’s population claimed Welsh ancestry, those of Welsh origin have made a notable contribution to Canada.
