Saturday, July 1, 2017

Happy 150th Birthday, Canada.

This is just a coincidence that I asked folks if they wanted to live 150 years and now I am posting a 150th birthday wish to my friends and relatives in Canada.

I have vacationed in Canada many many times.  From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, the only place I haven't visited that is still on my list is Alberta.  I have wonderful memories of so many trips.

My mother's oldest sister lived in Windsor.  We were about twenty minutes from the Detroit-Windsor tunnel and made many trips across the border.  Other cousins lived in Leamington and Toronto.

My mother's father came through Ellis Island in 1913 headed for Fort Frances, Ontario.  His brother-in-law and cousins were already there.  As a matter of fact, even though some of the family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, a branch of the clan remained in Fort Frances for many years before relocating to Victoria, BC and Seattle, Washington.

Detroit and Windsor have long celebrated their holidays of July 1 and July 4 together.  Many years ago their was an International Freedom Festival.  Since I was in downtown Detroit from 1964 until 1977, I often participated as evidenced by this 1973 photo.
I think I deserve points for having the nerve to publish this relic, lol.

Five years ago I made my second trip to Victoria, BC for my son's wedding.  We enjoyed the holiday celebrations on the following day, today.  Whistler, Victoria and Vancouver, BC; Thunder Bay, Agawa Canyon, Toronto, Niagara Falls, rafting on the Niagara River rapids, Manitoulin Island, Point Pelee, Windsor, Hamilton, London etc., Ontario; Montreal and Quebec City, Quebec; driving along the St. Lawrence River to the northern tip of Maine; Nova Scotia and Cape Breton; Prince Edward Island....  Canada is an incredible place to visit.

If you would enjoy learning more about this country, I highly recommend watching Canada: The Story of Us.   I found it very enlightening and entertaining.

And to those of you Canadians celebrating your birthday, have fun.  Just take it easy on those fireworks.

16 comments:

  1. For me (living in New England), it's been mainly Montreal, although I thoroughly enjoyed a trip to Niagara Falls years ago. Next up will be Prince Edward Island!

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    1. I loved PEI. I did it along with Nova Scotia. We rented a car and drove all over. Just wonderful. Rhode Island is still on my places to visit list.

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  2. You've seen a lot more of Canada than I have Denise, and I live here LOL. Thanks for the good wishes. Some idiot let off fireworks around midnight last night.

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    1. Some idiot around here was setting them off too. It is illegal to do so before Monday, but the rules never stop the idiots.

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  3. Most Americans know very little about Canada, I only learned recently how young a country Canada is.

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    1. I learned a lot about Canada from the series. I do not remember learning anything about their history in school.

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  4. Great post. We've taken two cruises up into Quebec City and Montreal. I fell totally in love with Quebec City. Could spend the summers there. Montreal was too much a mix of old and new architecture for me. Been to Nova Scotia twice now. Love that!!! Especially over around where Fort Louisbourg is.

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  5. I've been to Canada many times, starting with a trip to Toronto with my parents in 1960. I have friends who live in Northern New York and we often go to Ottawa -- what a beautiful city -- when I visit. I think I am overdue for a visit.

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  6. Not sure how many times I've been to Canada (not quite "many times") I have had the pleasure of walking to the two Niagara Falls, and walking on a bridge between Ottawa and Quebec. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, but I haven't been to either Detroit or Windsor. However, I spent many happy hours, growing up in New York City, listening to CKLW. We could get it easily at night. Memories! Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    1. I always felt fortunate to be able to watch and listen to CKLW when I was growing up. And now I enjoy programming on the CBC.

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  7. My Mother is Canadian and I have family there, but I'm ashamed to say that whilst I've travelled the world I've never been there - yet! Thanks for the nudge Denise!

    Click to visit Keith's Ramblings

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    1. You have traveled a lot as I noticed on your blog.

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  8. We have vacationed in Canada many times also, and we always love it. Well, I thought PEI was kinda boring. But we loved Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. Also, Judy's dad was born in Alberta and grew up in Saskatchewan.

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    1. Well, I will take a wild guess and say you did not read Anne of Green Gables growing up. I found PEI to be enchanting, especially one of the art shops we found.

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  9. Thanks for this fabulous post! Your ties to Canada are obviously strong, Denise, as are mine to the U.S. (one branch of our family tree lives in Michigan and New York states, others in California). I've never actually been further west than Winnipeg or further east than Quebec City; something we hope to remedy in the near future. You sure looked like you were enjoying that pastry. ☺ Happy July 4th to you and your family.

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  10. This is a wonderful post and thank you! That is a good documentary about , well, us:) We always took the tunnel when I was little because we would always visit relatives in Ann Arbor

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