After months of waiting, it’s finally here.
Residents across Wellington County will join Canadians from coast to coast to coast on Saturday in celebrating the 150th anniversary of our great nation.
Leading up to July 1, the Advertiser has tried not only to keep residents informed about local events but also to document some of the history of this area and the nation and to provide some insight into what this anniversary means to Canadians.
Our Canada 150 coverage began on Jan. 1 of this year, as several municipalities in the county held massive parties to bring in this momentous year.
It continued with various articles and photos over the next several months.
At the end of May we published a large broadsheet Canada 150 feature that included coverage from every corner of the county.
In recent weeks we continued to publish items highlighting Canada Day, including several feature pages last week focusing on local events.
This week we have more coverage, specifically a special focus on page 15 on what being Canadian means to a few of our readers.
Of course this weekend Advertiser staff will be out in various communities, taking in as many local July 1 celebrations as possible.
And while we won’t be able to get to every single event in every single town, we’ll cover as much as we can on social media, on wellingtonadvertiser.com and in the paper.
We are inviting residents across the county to share their experiences throughout the weekend with us on social media.
Photos can be shared at www.facebook.com/TheWellingtonAdvertiser, on Twitter (@WellyAdvertiser) and on My Wellington (www.facebook.com/wellingtoncty), where we are running a photo competition (see details on the Facebook page).
There’s no doubt this July 1, and perhaps the entire weekend, will be one many of us will remember for the rest of our lives.
Personally, I hope my daughters, though very young, will look back 50 years from now, during Canada’s bicentennial celebrations, and recall their crazy dad decking out the family’s small home with several (perhaps too many?) Canadian flags and dragging them to as many July 1 events as possible.
More importantly, I hope they remember their parents’ ongoing insistence on respecting Canadian traditions and institutions (“no being silly with O Canada” seems to be a mantra in our home lately); on the significance of Remembrance Day; on being humble and respectful; on the importance of family, friends and laughter; and on being proud to live in this amazing country.
As our kids get older, I’m sure the messages will sink in, but I think the responsibility rests with all of us, as Canadians, to pass on these values to the next generation as early and as often as possible.
It has been said that Canadians aren’t necessarily patriotic, but that’s nonsense.
I’ve witnessed it firsthand – and year round – across Wellington over the years and I know I’ll see it again this weekend.
Happy Canada Day.
