News flash! Today is the 199th anniversary of the Battle of Queenston Heights. But wait, there's more; over the next 14 months, this and other gripping accounts of The War of 1812 will be brought to you on a regular basis by the Stephen Harper government.
In case you missed it, next year the Conservatives are about to offer up a Canadian history class celebrating the 200th anniversary of the 1812 battles and the fight for Canada. It's good history and Stephen Harper is betting it will be good politics as well.
Historians generally agree The Battle of Queenston Heights, Oct. 13, 1812, was the defining skirmish in The War of 1812 between the invading American Army and the defending British troops.
James Maunder, a spokesman for Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore says, "Without the War of 1812, Canada as we know it today would not exist. The War of 1812 paved the way for Confederation. It was instrumental in the creation of our military. It was truly the fight for Canada."
Minister Moore has laid out an aggressive agenda, including up to 100 historical re-enactments, construction of a memorial site in Ottawa, the designation of October 2012 as a month commemorating The War of 1812 and recognition of the military regiments that trace their origins to the conflict.
As well, much will be written in the next year about the leadership of British Major General Isaac Brock, the contributions of native leader Tecumseh and his Shawnee Confederacy, the heroic run of Laura Secord and the resident Canadian militia, but we'll leave that recounting to the experts.
From a political perspective the commemoration of a decisive victory is a positive event. After all we won, they lost and the victors not only get to write history but they get to celebrate it
as well.
It's also a winner for the Harper government. He won the May election by sticking to his record of ensuring Canada was a strong and distinctive player on the international scene. We are not the 51st state of the United States and in spite of our economic ties we have our own healthy economy, our own robust banking system and very much our own national identity.
On the basis of these distinctions, it follows we should celebrate our own unique history.
The same goes for the government's recent decision to return "Royal" to the names of the Canadian Navy and the Canadian Air Force. The Royal designation was dropped with the 1968 unification of the forces under the Liberal government.
Following a return to separate entities in 1986 the designation Royal was left out until this August when it was restored to the Navy and Air Force.
The Canadian Army - previously called Land Forces Command - has never had a royal title and will now revert back to its original name.
There's no doubt in both the celebration of 1812 and the renaming of the two military services, that Stephen Harper sees the need to recognize and take pride in our unique Canadian
history.
Politically it's smart, recent polling shows a majority of Canadians support the re-naming of the Canadian Navy and Air Force.
Taking stock of our heritage is good for Canada. In the 19th and 20th centuries and as a young country, we were kept busy just getting by. Life was not easy for those who built and fought for Canada. And now, 199 years after The War of 1812 and 144 years after Confederation we deserve to take pride in who we are and how we got here.
It's been a great time and we have a remarkable history to celebrate. Relax, have a Laura Secord chocolate and consider this, if the Americans had won The War of 1812, it would have created the largest country in the world. But it wouldn't have been the best.
Taxes, taxes, taxes
Columnist Todd Whitcombe had a good piece in Tuesday's Citizen about the necessity of taxes and the social contract that exists between those who pay taxes and the authorities who take those taxes and provide services.
From a lot of experience I can tell you there are just as many complaints about high taxes as there are about potholes on the roads, unplowed streets and City Hall shortcomings.
Do you want to see change? If you do, City Council is still looking for budget input. Got a good idea, then contact the City at their website. See Wednesday's Citizen for details.
The bottom line; don't go to government with problems; instead come with solutions.
