O CANADA! WE SOUND GOOD TO ME, IF SOMETIMES WE’RE OFF-KEY
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
MUSKOKA — O Canada! We heard you loud and clear.
Virtual, smirtual — you made July 1 another historic birthday.
No. 153 will be memorable for more than the pandemic.
Celebrations took on a new life yesterday, as Canadians from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the Great Lakes to the Arctic celebrated the good — with the bad.
If in small, safe backyard family gatherings or riskier larger informal public groups beyond the recommended 10, we were together in the best spirit of what red and white wishes represents.
2020 will also be known for its innovative ways of keeping the flag flying at full mast and not half mast.
Music being just one great way to show national pride in daunting new world.
The Muskoka Concert Band was among those that united online in sound and sight.
When normally the brass and woodwinds would kick off the day-long parties in Huntsville on the river or Muskoka Heritage Place, this year band leader Fran Harvey and tech guru Neil Barlow brought together a couple dozens enthusiastic, if rusty players via Zoom.
And the result was a rousing rendition of the national anthem, O Canada.
Here them and see them here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0j3binettf7y531/O%20Canada%20-%20MCB.mp4?dl=0
Elsewhere the festivities were as real as unreal.
Personal and profound.
Proud and patriotic.
Reflective and remorseful.
Still, we survived another anniversary of relatively great country that has few compares to Canada.
We had lots to celebrate.
Will we get it right for 154?
Not likely, but it was a pretty good start (weather-wise, at least) and not totally the annus horribilis it could have been in the global political scheme of things.
Sure, we’re a middleweight in a heavyweight world; and even it they don’t appreciate our world war sacrifices at the UN, we can rise up and respect ourselves, just the same.
Here’s to a new day and a new opportunity to make Canada more inclusive, tolerant, greener, healthier, friendlier and open.
We can do better and we will. Wait till next year.
Go Canada!
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