Cher Gruener's Blog
Posted by Cher Gruener
When you think of the gold rush, what do you think of? Do you think of a movie that perhaps you saw? During the heyday of the silver screen there were movies made with the unforgettable duo of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy or the movie called The Gold Rush with Charlie Chaplin. Or how about the workings of Robert Service? The poem The Cremation of Sam McGee was influenced by his life in the Yukon.
The story of the gold rush in the klondike is a very fascinating study and if it piques your interest, you could spend some time investigating it. There are several well-written books about the gold rush by both Canadian authors as well as American.
Posted by Cher Gruener
Canada has a birthday and it is July 1st! The nation of Canada is 139 years old and going strong.
We can thank the founders and the past leaders of this great country for the freedom that we enjoy today.
The holiday was originally (for over a 100 years) called Dominion Day, because we were known as the Dominion of Canada. Then, as late as the 1980's, the name of Canada's birthday was changed to Canada Day.
July 1st celebrations take place all over the country. From picnics during the day and fireworks at night, it is a great day to spend with friends and family.
Posted by Cher Gruener
In the attempts to change the ways and lives of the uncivilized natives of North America, the Europeans who ventured over the new land brought with them things to trade with the natives, their cultures and habits, and deadly disease.
The North American Natives had no way of fighting or had no idea how to deal with these new and deadly diseases such as smallpox.
The natives had no idea what hit them, so they tended to move around to other areas, thus bringing the nasty bugs with them for the ride and unknowingly spreading them to other victims.
Many people were wiped out due to disease because they just didn't know how to treat them. Their own poultices and herbal medicines just didn't work, so what to do?
Posted by Cher Gruener
Louis Riel grew up in the Red River Settlement, went for training in Montreal and returned home to become one of the most anti-heroes in the history of Canada. The Metis (First Nations) people, due to their Catholic beliefs and other issues felt pushed around and felt that they were not given a voice in how the nation was being run.
When Riel returned from his training in Montreal, he was chosen as the Metis' leader to stir up some trouble, perhaps to get the Metis treated better. Well what ensued made interesting copy!
To make a long story short, they took over a fort, killed a man and were mainly responsible for creating the province of Manitoba! Louis Riel is certainly one of the more colourful folks that make up the mosaic of Canadian history!
Posted by Cher Gruener
The Fenians were a group of Irish settlers that came to North America and longed to see British rule ousted in Ireland. They used Canada as their means to an end, not realizing that the country of Canada wasn't quite the pushover they thought or hoped it would be.
Rebuffed in the attempt to hold the country of Canada hostage, the Fenians died out in popularity during the 1870's.
Posted by Cher Gruener
The western part of Canada was settled over a period of time and the onset of the railway helped establish this. Families from all over Europe and even from the United States moved up to Canada to start a better life, each family adding their own uniqueness to the quilt that was to become Canada.
Posted by Cher Gruener
The western parts of Canada were seemingly unreachable until the Canadian government decided that it would be a good idea to begin constructing a railway towards the west. Short spurts were begun, but nothing concrete. But as the Chinese proverb states that every journey begins with a single step, so was it with the quest for a railroad that joined the coasts of Canada together, thus opening the west and eastern parts to each other in the great land of Canada!
Posted by Cher Gruener
Victoria Day...just another holiday? Canada celebrates Queen Victoria's birthday which was the 24th of May (and kinda lumps all other monarchs on that date as well). Most Canadians look at it as the first week of summer (the weekend to open up the cottage or plant the garden - because its pretty much guaranteed that it the ground won't freeze anymore). Since Canada really doesn't have a lot of ties to England (yes, we have a Governor General that is the queen's advocate here in Canada) most residents of Canada really don't know who Queen Victoria was. They are just happy for an extra day off!
Posted by Cher Gruener
Sir John A MacDonald, what is his claim to fame? He was Canada's first prime minister. He was instrumental in bringing Canada together and gave birth to the country that we can identify with today.
He was instrumental in pulling the nation of Canada together and was chosen to be its first leader. He worked hard on getting the baby country to become a nation.
Posted by Cher Gruener
The Men in Red, riding on horses, men (and women) of story and song. Made famous during the twenties and thirties and beyond on radio shows and in film and song, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police became well known to both Canadian and American audiences through movies such as Steele of the Royal Mounted made in 1925 and King of the Royal Mounted made in 1936. All in all, approximately 31 movies and shows were made about the RCMP.
Of course, the movies, books and radio shows have only showed a little bit of what the Royal Canadian Mounted Police did long ago and what they do today. Long ago they were responsible for maintaining control of the western part of Canada, looked after the Yukon during the gold rush and more recently they are responsible for sexual assualts, dealing with Canada's most wanted criminals and the like. It might be said that the RCMP fill somewhat of the same jobs and duties that the United State's FBI does. Are the two comparible? Possibly.
But no matter what they are doing have done in the past, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police do a great service to the citizens of Canada.