Canada 150

Official logo of the Canadian sesquicentennial.

Happy Canada Day - Bonne fête du Canada - to all my Canadian truckbuddies on the 150th anniversary of Confederation.  You all have made great progress in that time, from a sprawling wilderness to a civilized democracy, a beacon of hope for all the world.  I wish my country could say the same.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greeted his fellow Canadians in this video message:





To mark the occasions, HM The Queen of Canada issued a new official photograph, taken by a Toronto photographer, in which she is wearing a diamond maple leaf brooch first worn by her mother during the 1939 Royal Tour:

There's something to be said for having a dignified, non-political Head of State at the top of the ladder, and also the historical continuity of family ties.  Representing the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were on hand in Ottawa today to celebrate with Canadians.

A monarchy wouldn't work here, of course; but sometimes it's nice to think of, from a distance.