Canadian Identity in the 1920's

Agnes McPhail - first woman elected to the House of Commons

These new household items changed the lives of women, as wives and mothers.

Emily Murphy  a female judge and 'a person'

The Famous Five - lobbied for women to be recognized as persons

Music flooded the airways . . . via new technology like the radio

"Happy Days are Here Again"

Much of this new, developing culture of the 1920's was influenced by American culture

"I'm Sitting on Top of the World"

Including dances like 

The Charleston

and the Turkey Trot

American influence was also seen in fashion styles of the 1920's

Increased mobility between Canada and the USA was possible due to the Model T Ford


now 'the drive thru' restaurant was possible

Improved communications further allowed for the sharing of Canadian and American culture

and the movies . . . first the silent ones, like Charlie Chaplin

and then the talkies

Laurel and Hardy

Many Canadian actors went south in search of work . . and fame.
Canadian Mary Pickford became known as America's Sweetheart

The 1920's saw a new  Canadian art movement, reflecting Canada's rugged landscape

The Group of Seven were a group of Canadian landscape painters in the 1920s, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A. Y. Jackson, Franz Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J. E. H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley. Tom Thomson(who died in 1917) and Emily Carr were also closely associated with the Group of Seven, though neither were ever official members. The Group of Seven is most famous for its paintings of the Canadian landscape. It was succeeded by the Canadian Group of Painters in the 1930s.^[1]

The Group of Seven was strongly influenced by European Impressionism of the late nineteenth century in the Montmartre district of Paris.

and BC's very own Emily Carr

SOCIALS 11

Just a reminder that your Canadian Identity projects are due on Monday, September 26th.  Refer to the criteria sheet and evaluation rubric given in class to ensure you complete all the required components to this assignment.  Email me if you have any questions.

SOCIALS 10

Just a reminder that your group projects and presentations for a new symbol of Canada are due on Monday, September 26th.  Happy planning!

Explaining Canadians

Joe Canadian Rant

Download the video

Download the mp3

Hey, I'm not a lumberjack, or a fur trader.... I don't live in an igloo or eat blubber, or own a dogsled.... and I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada, although I'm certain they're really really nice. I have a Prime Minister, not a president. I speak English and French, not American. And I pronounce it 'about', not 'a boot'. I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack. I believe in peace keeping, not policing, diversity, not assimilation, and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal. A toque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch, and it is pronounced 'zed' not 'zee', 'zed' !!!! Canada is the second largest landmass! The first nation of hockey! and the best part of North America My name is Joe!! And I am Canadian!!!

2 Symbols of Canadian Identity: Our Anthem, Our Flag

O CANADA
O Canada! Our home and native land
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise
The true north, strong and free
From far and wide, O Canada
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free
O Canada! We stand on guard for thee
O Canada! We stand on guard for thee.


O Canada! Terre de nos aieux
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brilliants exploix.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

---

---

The History of the National Anthem

Summary

"O Canada" was proclaimed Canada's national anthem on July 1, 1980, 100 years after it was first sung on June 24, 1880. The music was composed by Calixa Lavallée, a well-known composer; French lyrics to accompany the music were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier. The song gained steadily in popularity. Many English versions have appeared over the years. The version on which the official English lyrics are based was written in 1908 by Mr. Justice Robert Stanley Weir. The official English version includes changes recommended in 1968 by a Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons. The French lyrics remain unaltered.

A slightly modified version of the first verse of Weir's poem was proclaimed as Canada's national anthem in 1980. The original poem of 1908 by Stanley Weir reads as follows:

"O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love thou dost in us command.
We see thee rising fair, dear land,
The True North, strong and free;
And stand on guard, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.

Refrain
O Canada! O Canada!
O Canada! We stand on guard for thee.
O Canada! We stand on guard for thee.

O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western Sea,
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!

Refrain
O Canada! O Canada! etc.

O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western Sea,
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!

Refrain
O Canada! O Canada! etc.

Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the Better Day,
We ever stand on guard.

Refrain
O Canada! O Canada! etc."

English Translation of the French Version of the National Anthem

O Canada! Land of our forefathers
Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious garland of flowers.
As in thy arm ready to wield the sword,
So also is it ready to carry the cross.
Thy history is an epic of the most brilliant exploits.

Ch.
Thy valour steeped in faith
Will protect our homes and our rights
Will protect our homes and our rights.



Historical refrain

A page from Hymns of the Christian Life, 1962, depicting then long-standing refrain lyrics to O Canada, but not the original
Below are some slightly different versions of the second and third stanzas and the refrain, plus an additional fourth stanza,[1] but these are rarely sung.[24] There is also a hymnal version of the lyrics, written by Albert D. Watson.[18]


O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western sea.
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!
Refrain:
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons, and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western sea.
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
Refrain
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion in thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the better Day,
We ever stand on guard.
Refrain
Lord of the lands, beneath Thy bending skies,
On field and flood, where’er our banner flies,
Thy people lift their hearts to Thee,
Their grateful voices raise:
May our dominion ever be
A temple to Thy praise.
Thy will alone let all enthrone:
Refrain:
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own:
Lord of the lands, make Canada Thine own!
Almighty Love, by Thy mysterious power,
In wisdom guide, with faith and freedom dower;
Be ours a nation evermore
That no oppression blights,
Where justice rules from shore to shore,
From lakes to northern lights.
May love alone for wrong atone;
Refrain
Lord of the worlds, with strong eternal hand,
Hold us in honor, truth and self-command;
The loyal heart, the constant mind,
The courage to be true,
Our wide extending empire bind,
And all the earth renew.
Thy Name be known through every zone;
Refrain

The Buchan version, was once popular in British Columbia.

O Canada, our heritage, our love;
Thy worth we praise all other lands above;
From sea to sea throughout thy length,
From pole to borderland,
At Britain's side, what'er betide
Unflinchingly we'll stand;
With heart we sing, "God Save the King",
Guide then one empire wide, do we implore,
And prosper Canada from shore to shore.[25]

Official flag, 1892-1922

 image by Herman De Wael

Canada's Official Flag 1965 - present

When did the maple leaf become the emblem of Canada?

The maple leaf was historically used from the early days of Canada to symbolize the land and its people. It was first proposed as an emblem of Canada in 1834 when theSociété Saint-Jean-Baptiste was founded; shortly thereafter, in 1836, Le Canadien, a newspaper published in Lower Canada, referred to it as a suitable emblem for Canada.

It was also used in the decorations for the visit of the Prince of Wales to Canada in 1860. It appears on the coats of arms granted to Quebec and Ontario in 1868 and as a distinctive emblem on the royal arms of Canada proclaimed in 1921. The maple leaf was for many years the symbol of the Canadian Armed Forces and was used to identify Canadian contingents in the two world wars. But it wasn't to receive official status until the National Flag of Canada was proclaimed by Her Majesty the Queen in 1965.

What is the significance of the eleven points of the maple leaf?

The maple leaf, as found on the national flag, is a stylized design. The symbolism lies in the maple leaf itself, which is the traditional emblem of Canada. There is no special significance to the eleven points.

OTHER SYMBOLS

"We are Canadian" . . we are what?

 

Poem lyrics

When defining Canada
you might list some statistics
you might mention our tallest building
or biggest lake
you might shake a tree in the fall
and call a red leaf Canada
you might rattle off some celebrities
might mention that we’ve got a few
barenaked ladies
or that we made these crazy things
like zippers
electric cars
and washing machines

When defining Canada
it seems the world’s anthem has been
been there done that
and maybe that’s where we used to be
it’s true
we’ve done and we’ve been
we’ve seen all the great themes get swallowed up by the machine
and turned into theme parks
but when defining Canada
don’t forget to mention that we have set sparks

We are not just fishing stories
about the one that got away
we do more than sit around and say, eh?
and yes
we are the home of the Rocket and the Great One
inspirers of little number nines
and little number ninety-nines
but we’re more than hockey and fishing lines
off the rocky coast of the Maritimes
some say what defines us
is something as simple as please and thank you
and as for you’re welcome
well we say that too

But we are more
than genteel or civilized
we are an idea in the process
of being realized
we are young
we are cultures strung together
then woven into a tapestry
and the design
is what makes us more
than the sum total of our history

We are an experiment going right for a change
with influences that range from a to zed
(yes we say zed instead of zee)
we are the colours of Chinatown and the coffee of Little Italy
we dream so big that there are those
who would call our ambition an industry
larger than sticky maple syrup and clean snow
bigger than wheat and beer
we are vineyards of good year after good year
we reforest what we clear
because we believe in generations beyond our own
knowing now that so many of us
have grown past what used to be

We can stand here today
filled with all the hope people have
when they say things like, someday
someday, we’ll be great
someday, we’ll be this
or that
someday, we’ll be at a point
when someday was yesterday
and all of our aspirations will pave the way
for those who, on that day,
look towards tomorrow
and still say,
someday

We will reach the goals we set
and we will get interest on our inspiration
because we are more than a nation of whale watchers and lumberjacks
more than backpacks and hiking trails
we are hammers and nails building bridges
towards those who are willing to walk across
we are the lost and found for all those who might find themselves at a loss
we are not the see-through gloss or glamour
of those who clamour for the failings of others

We are fathers, brothers, sisters and mothers,
uncles, nephews, aunts and nieces
we are cousins
we are found missing puzzle pieces
we are families with room at the table for newcomers
we are more than summers and winters
more than on and off seasons
we are the reasons people have for wanting to stay
because we are more than what we say or do
we live to get past what we go through
and learn who we are
we are students
students who study the studiousness of studying
so we know what as well as why

We don’t have all the answers,
but we try
and the effort is what makes us more
we don’t all know what it is in life we’re looking for
so keep exploring
go far and wide
or go inside, but go deep
go deep
as if James Cameron was filming a sequel to "The Abyss"
and suddenly there was this location scout
trying to figure out some way
to get inside you

Keep exploring
because we are more
than a laundry list of things to do and places to see
we are more than hills to ski
or countryside ponds to skate
we are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can’t wait
we are first-rate greasy spoon diners and healthy living cafés
a country that is all the ways you choose to live
a land that can give you variety
because we are choices

We are millions upon millions of voices shouting
"keep exploring"
we are the surprise the world has in store for you
it’s true
Canada is the "what" in "what’s new?"
so don’t say, been there done that
unless you’ve sat on the sidewalk
while chalk artists draw still-lifes
on the concrete of a kid in the street
beat boxing to Neil Young for fun
don’t say you’ve been there, done that
unless you’ve been here doing it
let this country be your first-aid kit
for all the times you get sick of the same old, same old
let us be the story told to your friends

And when that story ends
leave chapters for the next time you’ll come back
next time pack for all the things
you didn’t pack for the first time
but don’t let your luggage define your travels
each life unravels differently
and experiences are what make up
the colours of our tapestry
we are the True North
strong and free
and what’s more
is that we didn’t just say it,
we made it be.

Imagine a world, your world

"Imagine"  by John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one