In a nation where more than half the population wants to sever ties with the British monarchy, Justin Wastnage reports that Canadians are questioning whether they should ...
Let It Be
Canada, like Australia, knows how to party, especially when it involves a momentous anniversary, but our distant cousin differs when it comes to the guest list.
In 1988, when Australia celebrated its bicentenary marking 200 years of white settlement, Queen Elizabeth II was in Canberra to cut the ribbon on the new Parliament House.
When our Commonwealth relative celebrated the 400th anniversary of European settlement last month, the absence of the Queen was telling.
Despite the Québec provincial Government wanting the Queen to attend the celebrations of the founding of Quebec City, she was advised by Canada's Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper not to attend due to fears the monarch would become the target of separatist demonstrations. French-speaking Québec has been agitating for independence from Canada for decades.
But while the Queen decided not to visit Québec, the only province where the population might be seen as strongly supporting a republic, a British rock star received a rapturous welcome from 200,000 fans. Paul McCartney's concert to help celebrate the city's 400th birthday was provocative, given that it took place on the Plains of Abraham, the site of a battle almost 250 years ago that sealed British dominance over the French in North America.
Click here to read the full article on SMH.com.au
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