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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 27, 2007 - 21 O Canada! Happy Birthday! This Canada Day delight in the achievements of your fellow Canadians past and present, and honor the heritage that has been passed down for generations. A Deep History The first settlers of this great land were, of course, the aboriginal peoples. In 1497, John Cabot, who reached Nova Scotia and claimed the land in the name of England, joined them. The great expanse remained relatively unexplored until 1534 when the French Jacques Cartier began setting up colonies in what France called New France. Under the guidance of Samuel de Champlain, the first French settlement was founded in 1605 at Port Royal, and in 1608 the heart of New France, which later became Quebec City, was established. To no ones surprise, France soon claimed Canada as its own. England maintained its dominating presence in Canada, and battles with the French were commonplace throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. One battle led to England gaining control over the Maritimes. This prompted the Great Upheaval of 1755, the deportation of about 12,000 French settlers, known as Acadians. The long and tedious Seven Years War (1756-1763) allowed England to further its conquest. By the end of the war, British General James Wolfe won his famous victory over French General Louis Montcalm outside of Quebec on September 13, 1759. And in 1763, the Treaty of Paris gave England the full control that it was looking for. Nearly 100 years later in 1867, Queen Victoria approved a plan that allowed Canada to become an independent nation with its own government. The British North America Act of 1867 confederated the Province of Canada (including Upper and Lower Canada, now Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as the Dominion of Canada. In 1870 Manitoba and the Northwest Territories joined confederation, followed by British Columbia in 1871, Prince Edward Island in 1873, the Yukon in 1898, Saskatchewan and Alberta in 1905, Newfoundland in 1949, and Nunavut in 1999. By 1885 the Canadian Pacific Railway linked Canada from coast to coast- a symbol of unity. The years to come saw many great Prime Ministerseach of whom made their own contributions to Canadian life and culture. A Flag is Born The red and white maple leaf flag is one of Canada's most recognized symbols. The Canadian flag is acknowledged around the globe as an emblem of hope and peace. However, Canada did not have an official flag until the 1960's. In 1964 Lester B. Pearson appointed a 15-member, all-party committee, which was given the duty of designing a distinctive Canadian flag. The choice was between three designs and after much consideration the committee made it's decision. The single red maple leaf design was simple, and based on a strong sense of Canadian history. Red and white had been pronounced Canada's national colours by King George V in 1921, and the maple leaf symbol was widely associated with Canada. The final product was presented to Canadian citizens at the National Flag Inauguration Ceremony in 1965.The flag was well received, and with it came a sense of national pride and unity.At the ceremony, Speaker of the Senate, the Honorable Maurice Bourget reflected on the importance of a national flag: "The flag is the symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion." Silly Symbols Let's face it- Canada is associated with some strange and downright hilarious symbols. The beaver is widely connected with Canada. When early European explores arrived on our land, they noticed a rather large supply of furry, bucktoothed rodents. With this supply came a lucrative demand for hats. Our furry friends were close to extinction by the mid-19th century. Luckily for them, our European ancestors soon took a fashionable liking to silk hats. In 1975. Other wild creatures, such as the moose, the caribou, the common loon, Canada geese, the lynx, and the grizzly bear have also come to be associated with our nation. The Regional Municipality of Halton Happy Canada Day! from all of us at Have a happy & safe Canada Day Smile! DENTISTS On behalf of Regional Council, I'd like to wish everyone a safe and happy Gary Carr - Regional Chair DR. JONATHAN KAZDAN DR. STEVEN SOLOMON DR. MARISA D'ANGELO Canada Day 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, Ontario L6M 3L1 Tel: 905-825-6000 · Toll Free: 1-866-4HALTON TTY: 905-827-9833 · www.halton.ca OAKVILLE MITSUBISHI 191 Wyecroft Road, Oakville Between Kerr & Dorval Info@OakvilleMitsubishi.com Oakville Place Mall Q.E.W. & Trafalgar Road, Oakville (905) 842-6030 New ! n Locatio 905-337-3388 Decorating a bedroom can be expensive BUT not at Halton Linen Halton Linen where your decorating dollar goes further HL HALTON LINEN OUTLET WAREHO U OPEN SE EVE SATURRY DAY The Best Country in the World! Kevin Flynn, MPP Oakville Happy Canada Day Family Owned and Operated for Over 33 Years FROM ALL OF US AT... New ! n Locatio 1360 Speers Rd., OAKVILLE (905) 847-2274 MON.- FRI.10 A.M.- 5:30 P.M. · SATURDAY 10 A.M.-5 P.M. · SUNDAY.CLOSED Voted Oakville's Best Linen Shop 2330 Lakeshore Road W., Unit #2, Oakville ON L6L 1H3 fax: 905-827-3786 tel: 905-827-5141 kflynn.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org 905-257-4611 4002 TRAFALGAR RD. g p