New Statue of Queen Elizabeth II Unveiled

A new statue of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II have been unveiled at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ontario – the home of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario – on November 7th, 2023.

The statue waas originally planned to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Her Majesty’s ascension as Queen of Canada, which occurred in 2022. Issues over funding the statue delayed the installation of the statue.

Present at the ceremony were Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Premier Doug Ford, Speaker Ted Arnott, and Chief R. Donald Maracle of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.

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Streetcar Service Returns to Humber Loop

For the first time in two years and ten months, or since January 2021, the TTC has resumed streetcar service on their 501 Queen line as far west as Humber Loop on October 29th, 2023.

The service was suspended as work occurred at the King-Queen-Queensway-Roncesvalles (KQQR) intersection and the surrounding area.

Now that work is completed there, service has resumed to Humber Loop all day, every day. Service west of Humber Loop continues to see shuttle bus service all day until November 19th when all day streetcar service resumes. However, 508 Lakeshore streetcars will operate all the way to Long Branch Loop during rush hours starting October 30th, 2023.

Here are some pictures from the first day of service to Humber Loop:

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All-Star Cast Succeed in Fidelio at the COC

I attended the October 14th, 2023 performance of Ludwig van Beethoven‘s only opera, Fidelio, at the Canadian Opera Company (C.O.C.)

The production, by Matthew Ozawa, is presented in a modern day prison. The set is a large cuve placed on a turntable, so that it could be moved to show different scenes within the prison. The production seemed to work well to demonstrate the story and to show off that tyranny and corruption still exists today and that we cannot deny this.

The production stars Miina-Liisa Värelä (Leonore), Clay Hilley (Florestan), Dimitry Ivashchenko (Rocco), Johannes Martin Kränzle (Don Pizarro), Anna-Sophie Neher (Marzelline), Josh Lovell (Jaquino), Sava Vemić (Don Fernando), Wesley Harrison (First Prisoner), and Alex Halliday (Second Prisoner.)

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Happy Thanksgiving

As this is the second Monday in October, I would like to wish everyone in Canada a Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving traditionally marks the end of the harvest season in Canada and has been celebrated in Canada since 1879 and the date varied each year until 1957.

Let’s discuss the history of Thanksgiving in Canada:

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Labour Day 2023 beside Mimico Harbour

On Labour Day 2023, I went for a walk in Humber Bay Promenade Park, which runs besides Mimico Harbour.

It was a warm afternoon thanks to an early September heat wave but a pleasant time nonetheless.

The walk included seeing The Snowbirds performing in the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Airshow.

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2023 Warriors’ Day Parade at the CNE

On August 19th, 2023 the Warriors’ Day Parade took place at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE.) This was the 102nd anniversary of the Warriors’ Day Parade.

Members of 32 Brigade (including the 48th Highlanders, the Toronto Scottish (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s Own), and the Royal Regiment of Canada) were joined by Royal Canadian Legion bands, the Toronto Police, Halton Regional Police, Peel Police, and others.

Here are some pictures and videos from the parade:

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Former Ontario Lieutenant-Governor James Bartleman Passes Away at 83

James Bartleman, the former Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, has passed away at the age of 83.

Mr. Bartleman was the lieutenant Governor General of Ontario who was of First Nations descent, being a member of the Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation.

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Hugh Segal has passed away at 72

Former Canadian Senator, Hugh Segal, has passed away at the age of 72.

Mr. Segal was a Canadian Senator from 2009 to 2014, following which he became Master, and later Principal, of Masset College in Toronto.

Prior to this Mr. Segal was Chief of Staff to Ontario Premier Bill Davis and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He was never elected to office, but ran for the Progressive Conservatives in the riding of Ottawa Centre in the 1972 and 1974 federal elections, and ran for leader of the Progressive Conservatives in 1998 before pulling out and supporting the eventual winner, Joe Clark.

Mr. Segal, as a Senator, served as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and later as the Chairman of the Special Senate Committee on Anti-Terrorism. He was pushed out as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in 2007 when the Harper Government wanted someone in the position who was more aligned with their platform.

He also served as a member of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group.

He was an old school Red Tory, who was inspired to enter politics when Prime Minister John Diefenbaker visited his school in 1962.

Mr. Segal was born on October 13th, 1950 in Montreal, Quebec. He wrote two books: Two Freedoms: Canada’s Global Future, and Bootstraps Need Boots: One Tory’s Lonely Fight to End Poverty in Canada.

Mr. Segal died in Kingston, Ontario on August 9th, 2023. He waas 72.

Related Articles:

Hugh Segal, former senator and chief of staff to PM Mulroney, dead at 72

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Happy Sir John Graces Simcoe Day, 2023

As today is Sir John Graves Simcoe Day in Ontario, I would like to discuss the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791 to 1796. Of course Upper Canada would later become the Province of Ontario.

Sir John Graves Simcoe. Portrait by George Theodore Berthon via Wikipedia

Born in Cotterstock, England in 1752, Simcoe would be educated at Eton and spent one year at Oxford. He joined the 35th Regiment of Foot, as an ensign, in 1770. He purchased a captaincy in the 40th Regiment of Foot and was injured in battle during the American Revolution. He was responsible for a successful battle in the battle of Crooked Billet.

He became Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada in 1791 when the British Government created the Province of Upper Canada out of land around the Great Lakes that stayed part of the British Empire after the American Revolution. Simcoe would see to the building of two major roads: Yonge Street (named after Sir George Yonge then the Minister of War), and Dundas Street (named after Henry Dundas, later the 1st Viscount Melville.) Originally built for defensive purposes, later both streets served to help settlement Upper Canada, and as trading routes.

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2023 MLB All Star Game

The 2023 MLB All-Star Game is set to be played July 11,2023 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

The Managers will be Rob Thomson (National League) and Dusty Baker (American League.)

The following players have been elected as starters in the game:

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