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Statement by Chairman Finch of the Monarchist League of Canada

7/6/2021

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REPUBLICANISM WILL NOT HELP WITH RECONCILIATION 
 
In the aftermath of the horrific discoveries of the bodies of Indigenous children at 
former residential schools across the country, Indigenous and non-Indigenous 
Canadians have rightly been asking themselves what more can be done to help 
achieve reconciliation. 

Recently, a school in Creston, BC removed its royal connection and renamed the 
Prince Charles Secondary School. Statues of Queen Victoria have been toppled and 
vandalized with barely a whimper of disapproval. On Twitter, so-called allies of 
Indigenous peoples without a shred of sober second thought equate anyone who 
supports the Crown with condoning and enabling genocide. All, of course, in the 
name of reconciliation. 

Unfortunately, there is a belief among some that erasing symbols of the monarchy
and the Royal Family will somehow help bridge the divide between us. Some want
to go as far as abolishing the monarchy altogether, replacing the Queen and the
Crown with a President and republican system of government. They argue that
republicanism is the way forward towards reconciliation. However, they could not
be more wrong in that assertion.

Just as in the broader population, Indigenous opinion on the monarchy is far from
being universal. Some support it, some do not, and some don’t care.  However,
reconciliation does not mean republicanism. Nowhere in the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission is there a call for ending the monarchy in Canada. In
fact, a general theme found throughout its ninety-four calls to action is how the
Indigenous-Crown relationship can be fostered and strengthened. The final call to
action called upon the government to amend the Oath of Citizenship to include a
reference to treaties all while keeping references to The Queen and her successors.
Hardly a republican manifesto.

It is surely worth asking what exactly a republic would even achieve in the first
place for Canada’s First Nations, Inuit, and Metis. Would the lives of Indigenous
peoples be improved? Would they be better off? Well, have the Indigenous
populations prospered in our republican neighbours to the south, the United States
and Mexico? Surely not.

Today, there exists great public support for Indigenous people, concern for their
causes, and regret for past wrongs. But tearing down other institutions that are
important to many – including Indigenous people - is not the way to go tactically
or strategically to achieve reconciliation. Ditto for any widespread charges of
colonialism and the like applied to today’s Royal Family who, quite frankly, have
done more to champion Indigenous issues than many of our politicians,
bureaucrats, academics, pundits, and so-called activists.

Blaming The Queen or other members of the Royal Family for the misdeeds and
mistakes of the past is undeserved and ultimately unhelpful to the reconciliation
cause and the country. We have an exciting opportunity to come together and
rebuild the nation-to-nation relationship between the Crown and Indigenous
peoples. Perhaps the Queen herself has a special role to play in this rebuilding. Let’s
seize the moment. Let’s not squander it with ill-conceived actions that will only
further divide us. 
Release July 3rd.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Happy Victoria Day

5/24/2021

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Picture
Happy Victoria Day! It is amazing how much difference a 
year makes. This time last May Canada was still coming to 
terms with what fighting Covid-19 would look like (even as 
New Brunswick remained an island of security) and we didn't 
know when things would start looking up. But now there is 
light at the end of the tunnel and a hope that the events of the 
past year and a half can finally be behind us. Queen Victoria 
herself lived through the cholera pandemic of 1854
which she noted in her diary along with meeting Florence
Nightingale. Much like the current pandemic there was a
great deal of fear. No one knew how cholera spread and
victims would often die within days. This actually leads to an
odd connection. The doctor who figured out what was causing
London's repeated cholera outbreaks was a man by the name
of John Snow. In previous years he had used anesthesia to
help the Queen give birth to two of her children. Anesthesia
had until this point been seen as unethical to administer
during childbirth but the Queen's repeated use of it and John
Snow's research into making anesthesia safer led to it being
more widely used in the following years.


The month of May also marks seven years of The Maple 
Monarchists
. The rest of this post is a bit of an update
on what I've been up to over the last year as Longtime readers
will note that I don't post as often as I once did. This largely
due to other activities taking up an ever larger portion of my
attention.

For starters, I continue to be the New Brunswick Chairman of 
the Monarchist League of Canada. Recently a list of educators 
in the province was compiled so that educational resources on
the monarchy can more easily be made available to classroom
teachers.

I'm also a moderator of a monarchist subreddit. While I have
been a moderator for many years now, the growth of the
subreddit over the last two years has been exponential.  It has
now surpassed 27,000 members and the moderation team
has had to step up its efforts as a result.

In a bit of news more related to this blog I have received an
offer from a French Canadian to translate some of the articles
I post. It is possible that most future articles will be bilingual.
Stay tuned for more information on this.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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A New Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments?

3/30/2021

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PictureFlag of the Governor General of Canada
Earlier this month the government 
announced the creation of an ad hoc
advisory group for selecting the next
governor general. This is not a full 
revival of the former Advisory 
Committee on Vice-Regal 
Appointments. Still, this is welcome news and something 
this blog has been calling for since 2018. 

Membership

(Co-Chair) Dominic Leblanc, the President of the Queen’s
Privy Council for Canada and Minister for Intergovernmental
Affairs

(Co-Chair) Janice Charette, interim Clerk of the Privy
Council

Daniel Jutras (Rector of the Université de Montréal)
​
Judith LaRocque (former Secretary to the Governor
General)

Natan Obed (President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami)

​Suromitra Sanatani (Interim Chair of the Board of
Directors of Canada Post).

Scope

Unlike the previous committee the advisory group has been
created solely for choosing a governor general. Provincial
lieutenant governors are excluded from the group's mandate.
This may speak to how temporary this group is intended to
be. While disappointing it should be noted the previous
committee also started out as an ad hoc group.

Critique

A second major difference is the greater prominence of the
government in the advisory group's structure. The previous
committee had one (non-voting) representative of the
government in its membership. This advisory group makes
the government's representative a co-chair. And the member
in question also happens to be a close personal friend of the
​prime minister. If you are trying to create an arms-length
​process this is not how you go about it.

The inclusion of 
Janice Charette and Suromitra Sanatani may
be a nod to the tension created between the former governor
general and the bureaucracy. Suromitra Sanatani presumably
knows something about vetting candidates from their
corporate experience.


​Judith LaRocque's (former secretary to the governor general)
inclusion mirrors the appointment of Shelia-Marie Cook (at
the time the current secretary to the governor general) to the
previous committee. A current secretary was not included as that individual was shown the door the same time Governor
General Julie Payette was.  

Natan Obed is an interesting inclusion. Getting First Nations
input on the selection of the governor general makes sense
when you consider the close relationship they have with the
monarchy and the fact this relationship often flows through
​the governor general.

Overall, a positive step away from the prime minister being
able to unilaterally appoint their own boss.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
1 Comment

The Grand Chief and Grand Council of the Mi'kmaw

1/30/2021

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PictureGrand Council Flag
I have previously written about the 
hereditary chief traditions of certain 
West Coast First Nations. Little did I 
know at the time that the East Coast 
also has at least one comparable 
position. The position in question is 
​the Grand Chief (of the Mi'kmaw). The 
position of Grand Chief has gone 
through many changes through the 
years both in its selection and its role. 
This is to be expected. Societies change 
as their needs change but through it all 
the Grand Chief has been an important 
office to the Mi'kmaw. This article is a 
brief overview of the office of Grand 
Chief along with the related institution 
of the Grand Council.

Partial List of Grand Chiefs

Henri Membertou (born 1507, Grand Chief 1550-1611)
Chief Membertou is an important figure in the history of
relations between the French and the Mi'kmaw on whom I
will need to do a dedicated article at some point. It is not clear
whether the office of Grand Chief (Kji-Saqmaw) had existed
prior to Chief Membertou being appointed to it in 1550, was
always an active position, or whether he was the first leader of
the Mi'kmaw to be appointed as such by the consensus of the
regional chiefs. His long life and conversion to Christianity
​helped cement an alliance between his people and the French.


Louis Membertou
The process for choosing a new Grand Chief after the death of Henri Membertou is not clear in this early period. Hereditary succession was practiced among the Mi'kmaw and in later times the position was hereditary. From this we can assume
that Louis Membertou, as eldest son, succeeded his father. It
is known he was being trained to take over Henri's other roles.

The position of Grand Chief disappears from the historical
record (the Grand Council only slightly less so). During this
'dark age' it is thought both institutions continued to exist but
the pressures of advancing European settlement, break down
in traditional social structures, and depopulation had led the
Grand Council to meet rarely or in secret.

Grand Chiefs Tomah Denys & Jean Baptiste Cope
When the position of Grand Chief is next mentioned in the
mid-1700s there are two contenders. It may be that the
French recognized one while the British recognized the other.
The question of which was the more legitimate candidate is an
interesting one. Tomah Denys resided on Cape Breton Island, which has special significance to the Mi'kmaw. The family
name of Denys is also common among later Grand Chiefs.
Finally, he was allied with the Mi'kmaw's traditional friends, the French. Jean Baptiste Cope lived on the mainland and was
often referred to by the military rank of Major. He did seek a
treaty of peace and friendship with the British in 1752 which
was presented to, and accepted by, the Grand Council. It is
clear that Mi'kmaw society was becoming divided with
different groups siding with one colonial power or the other.

By the end of the 1700s Mi'kmaw society seems to have
stabilized somewhat and a more complete list of Grand Chiefs
is known. However, it should be noted that several contenders
continued to be named Grand Chief during this period but we
will stick with the more recognized line.

Francis Peck (Grand Chief 1792-1818)
Michael Tooma (Grand Chief 1818-1842)
Frank Tooma Jr. (Grand Chief 1842-1869)
John Denys (Grand Chief 1869-1887)

John Denys Jr. (born 1851, Grand Chief 1887-1918)
The greatest change to the office of Grand Chief would occur
during John Denys Jr.'s time as Grand Chief. He instructed
his successor be elected for life rather than appoint his son.
There are varying accounts of whether this was supposed to
be a permanent change or a temporary measure until his son
was a bit older. John Denys Jr. is said to have felt the pressure
of the position would be too much for his son at the time.


Gabriel Sylliboy (born 1874, Grand Chief 1918-1964)
The first of the elected Grand Chiefs. He would fight for the
Mi'kmaw's historic treaty rights to be recognized and was the
first to invoke the treaties in a court of law.

Donald Marshall Sr. (born 1925, Grand Chief 1964-1991)

Benjamin Sylliboy (born 1941, Grand Chief 1991-2017)
As Donald Marshall Sr. neared the end of his life he asked
Benjamin Sylliboy if he would take over for him as Grand
Chief. Benjamin Sylliboy's time as Grand Chief would be a
renaissance for the Grand Council as a traditional governing
body of the Mi'kmaw.

Norman Sylliboy (Grand Chief 2019-Present)
Descended from Gabriel Sylliboy and the current Grand Chief.
Norman Sylliboy has been asked by the Denys family to once
again make the position hereditary in their line. Norman is
said to be considering this.

Succession

While the position of Grand Chief is currently elective, in
early periods it was hereditary with an important caveat; an
unworthy heir could be by-passed with other candidates from
the Grand Chief's family being considered. In this way the
position of Grand Chief has always had elements of both
hereditary and elective succession.

The Grand Council

The Grand Council, of which the Grand Chief is a member,
is the highest governing body of the Mi'kmaw. Its power and
role have fluctuated wildly throughout its history. Early on it
had a role in resolving disputes and making treaties. The
long periods in which the Mi'kmaw were not served by a
Catholic priest led to members of the Grand Council often
having to fulfill a priestly role. This adopted role may have 
kept the Grand Council relevant as its political role
diminished almost to nothing in the 1800s. In recent years
the Grand Council is once again resuming its historic role of
being the body that represents the Mi'kmaw people. 

Membership on the Grand Council has shifted over time but it
broadly had a three person executive (Grand Chief, Grand
Captain, Putus) and a representative from each of the seven
regions that made up the Mi'kmaw territory.

Further Reading:
- Mi'kmmey Mawio'mi: Changing Roles of the
Mi'kmaq Grand Council From the Early Seventeenth
Century to the Present

- The Mi'kmaq Grand Council

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Queen's (and King's) Counsel

12/20/2020

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The New Brunswick government recently announced the 
appointment of eleven lawyers as Queen's Counsel. But what 
is a 'Queen's Counsel' and what is its history?
Picture
Marie-Claude Blais of New Brunswick was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2010
The idea of a special position in law either representing or 
advising the monarch began with the Norman Conquest of
England. In the beginning the designation was only held in
addition to the more senior offices of Attorney General,
Solicitor-General, and King's Serjeants. The first Queen's
Counsel appointment made in its own right was to Sir Francis
Bacon in 1597. It would gradually replace the office of the
King's Serjeants (although the last such person appointed
would not die until the early 1900s). Originally the office
came with a number of privileges and restrictions meant to
uphold the high honour of the office. However, these were
abolished one by one until it became solely an honorary
designation, although still one recognized by the courts. 
​
The office of Queen's Counsel would play a minor role in the
delineation of federal power in Canada with a ruling in 1897
by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council upholding the
rights of the provinces to make such appointments. 

Today appointments of Queen's Counsels continue in every
province except Ontario and Quebec. The federal government
stopped making appointments in 1993 but resumed in 2013.
However, since 2015 only the Attorney Generals has been
appointed Queen's Counsel.

The postnominals QC are granted to all Queen's Counsel (or
KC in the case of King's Counsel).

While there are slight differences in the requirements to be
appointed Queen's Counsel in general one must be a lawyer
who has demonstrated outstanding practice, shown integrity
and leadership and made contributions to excellence in the
law profession. They also must have at least 15 years'
experience in the practice of law.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Democracy Watch combines Good Intent with an oddly poor understanding of the Canadian Constitution to Ill Effect

12/7/2020

1 Comment

 
PictureDemocracy Watch Logo
Recently I learned that an organization 
called Democracy Watch was going to 
sue the New Brunswick government over 
its decision to call an early election back in 
September. Now, suing anyone is risky but 
more so when that organization has 
limitless funds to mount a defence. So if 
nothing else I commend their bravery. 
Sadly, the bravery has a truckload of foolishness mixed in.

So what is the issue at hand? It comes down to reading New
Brunswick's fixed-date election law (which sets the date the
next election will fall on), and the constitution, the way you
want it to read rather than how it is actually written. James
Bowden over at Parliamentum has already made several
excellent posts
 
about the structural problems of Canada's
fixed-date election laws so I will not get into them in depth
here.

The Democracy Watch press release announcing this legal
action is an interesting read mostly because it aims to have
the courts rule on two things they don't rule on: conventions
and politics. They argue that because the last three elections
have occurred on the fixed-date that a convention has been
established. I won't even dispute this point; a convention of
having elections on a set date may well have been established
but this still doesn't make conventions something
courts can rule on
. The second aspect of their argument is
that calling an early election was self-interested and contrary
to previous political positions. Now, courts don't rule on
conventions and they definitely don't rule on political
positions. There is an amusing irony in that if Democracy
Watch 
gets its way the unelected courts will become referees
of government policy. Why is this an ​irony? Because they also
want the current referees of government policy (the monarch
and their representatives) to be elected.

Although, either because of the many constitutional hurdles
involved or a secret preference for oligarchy, they don't
actually call for elected governor generals:
"Democracy Watch recommends that the GG be chosen by creating a new federal
Cabinet appointments agency made up of 5 people chosen with the approval of all
federal political party leaders that have members in the House of Commons; then
having that agency do a public, advertised, merit-based search to come up with a
shortlist of 3 qualified candidates for GG (this agency will also do searches for
candidates for all other federal Cabinet appointments); and then having a
convention attended by the leaders of every party that has members in any federal,
provincial or territorial legislature, and with the GG approved by two-thirds of the
leaders.  This will result in a representative, non-partisan, qualified GG being
chosen every time."
I'm sure Democracy Watch would like to think this is a more democratic process but it is instead a very oligarchic one. At
every step the smallest elite has authority. Search committee?
Selected by the party leaders. Convention to select the new
​governor general? Party leaders from across Canada. I also
have doubts about their conclusion that the resulting pick
​would be non-partisan. Election is not a system that tends to
select for non-partisanship. Those leaders doing the voting
have every interest to have someone sympathetic to their
​interests get the nod. Finally, it diffuses responsibility for the
appointment. At present, the prime minister has a vested
interest in making sure their pick isn't an embarrassment.
By spreading the blame for any poor choices of governor
general around a wider group the prime minister loses any
sense of personal responsibility in making sure the office of
​the governor general is functioning properly.

The idea of having a select group choose candidates to
recommend is not a bad idea in and of itself. I have
mentioned the Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal
Appointments
before and I feel it was an improvement.

So Democracy Watch does have some good ideas, such as
increasing the power of auditors general, but the good ideas
are buried under layers of poorly-thought-out initiatives, of
which messing with the Crown is only one. It can do better.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
1 Comment

The Royal History of the Hudson's Bay Company

10/31/2020

2 Comments

 
PictureHudson's Bay Company Coat of Arms Photo Credit: Qyd
The fur trade was a vital industry 
in Canada almost from the time 
the first settlers arrived with first 
the French and then the English 
competing for the finest pelts. A 
major player in this industry was 
the Hudson's Bay Company. And 
while its operations are much 
reduced these days it bears the 
distinction of having outlived all 
of its rivals. But if a certain prince 
had not seen the potential of the north-western corner of 
North America it might not have ever got off the ground in the
​first place.

Two Adventurers walk into the bush...

Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers were
​typical examples of the entrepreneurial French traders,
known as coureurs de bois, who plied the rivers of New
France in search of furs. Possessing an independent streak
and the good sense to listen to their First Nation trading
​partners.
PictureSketch of Pierre-Esprit Radisson
From the Cree the two men would
learn that the best fur country lay
north and west of Lake Superior.
The men sought permission to set
up a trading post on the coast of
Hudson's Bay to reduce the cost
of trading for the valuable furs.
The governor (Marquis d'Argenson)
perhaps fearing the fur trade would
shift away from the St. Lawrence
River, refused to give the men
permission to scout the area.
​They went there anyways.

They left in 1659 and returned a year later with a load of
premium furs proving the value of the territory. For their
trouble they were arrested for trading without a licence, fined,
and had their furs confiscated. Both men were soon to seek
more appreciative business partners.

English Gold is as good as French Gold

Heading down to Boston the men were able to arrange
funding for an exploratory expedition in 1663. Unfortunately,
​sea ice prevented the ship from reaching the bay. English
commissioner Colonel George Cartwright was stationed in
Boston and learned about the expedition. He arranged for
Radisson and ​Groseilliers to go to England to raise financing.
They arrived during the Great Plague of London.

Prince Rupert Invests

Despite a series of set-backs and plain bad luck the two men's
​determination was about to be rewarded. After receiving an
audience with Prince Rupert, he sponsors the two men (with
an initial investment of £270) and introduces them to his
cousin, King Charles II.
PicturePrince Rupert
In 1668 a new expedition was ready
with two ships, Eaglet and Nonsuch,
acquired for the purpose. The Eaglet
was forced to turn back off the coast
of Ireland (with Radisson on board).
The Nonsuch (with Groseilliers) made
it to James Bay (the southern section
of Hudson's Bay) and established
Charles Fort beside the Rupert River.
After a successful winter trading for
furs the ship returned in 1669. The
cargo of furs was wort
h £1,233. Thus
proven that the fur trade around the Hudson's Bay was going
to be profitable a more formal arrangement was quick to be
established.

One Company to Rule Them All

A royal charter granted on May 2nd, 1670 by King Charles II
established The Governor and Company of Adventurers of
England Trading into Hudson's Bay
(they got somewhat
better at naming things later on). Prince Rupert would serve
as the company's first governor (1670-82). The company was
granted a monopoly on the fur trade along all rivers draining
into Hudson's Bay.

​Prince Rupert died in November of 1682 while still serving as
the company's governor. The company would gain a second
governor of royal blood in the new year with James Stuart,
Duke of York being appointed. He would resign in 1685 when
he became King James II.

The monopoly would last 200 years. Unlike other such
enterprises the Hudson's Bay managed to successfully
transition to being a retail operation in the 1800s as its
monopolies and territories were ceded to the fledgling
Dominion of Canada. 

Rent

PictureRent Ceremony, 1939
Under the terms of the royal
charter establishing the
company a rent of "two Elks
and two Black beavers
" was
to be paid yearly to the king or
his heirs whenever they were
in the company's territories.
This is interesting as at the
time neither the king nor his
heirs had ever been to the
Hudson's Bay but seemed to
think it might happen one
day. As it happens this rent
has been paid four times in the company's long history (being
either in pelts or live animals). The rent was collected on the
following occasions:

1927 - Edward, Prince of Wales
1939 - King George VI
1959 - Queen Elizabeth II
1970 - Queen Elizabeth II

The rent was collected in areas around Winnipeg in public
ceremonies. In 1970 the charter was amended and the rent
requirement removed.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

2 Comments

Green Party Leadership Race: Views on the Monarchy

9/1/2020

0 Comments

 
PictureElizabeth May
The Green Party is holding the second 
leadership race this year. It is to choose 
a successor to Elizabeth May who has 
been a longtime champion of Canada's 
monarchy. This is also the first time 
since the party gained national status 
that a leadership race has been called. 
As such it is an important chance to see
what the party's thinking is on Canada's
​monarchy.

Questions & Replies

​The questions posed to each candidate:
1. What are your views on the monarchy? 
2. As prime minister would you make use of the Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal
Appointments that was active between 2010 and 2015? 
3. During the previous parliament the government cancelled a program that
mailed physical copies of the Queen's portrait to any Canadian who asked free of
charge. Would you restore this program?
4. The government also removed the Queen's portrait from the lobby of the Foreign
Affairs Office and replaced it with paintings by Alfred Pallen. Would you find a
way to have both paintings and portrait share the ample wall space of the Foreign
Affairs Office lobby?
​Below are links to each candidate's reply and a short look at
any previous comments they may have made in regards to the
monarchy. Candidates who failed to qualify or withdrew are
included for historical reference.

Qualified to appear on the b
allot
David Merner
​Amita Kuttner
Annamie Paul
Meryam Haddad

Glen Murray
Dimitri Lascaris
Courtney Howard
​Andrew West

No longer in the race
​Dylan Perceval-Maxwell

Judy Green

Crown & Cap Scoreboard

​Here I have ranked the candidates support for, or opposition
to, the monarchy. 
Keep in mind this is only my assessment
and your mileage 
may vary. Also, note that changes may occur
as the campaign goes on.

The crown score is out of five crowns with each candidate

receiving one crown for stating support for the monarchy
in 
their reply, one crown for having defended the monarchy
in 
Parliament, two crowns for outlining how they would
improve 
the monarchy's role in the future, and one crown for
having spoken in support of the monarchy outside of 
Parliament. 

The cap score is likewise out of five caps with one cap given to
a candidate for being opposed to the 
monarchy in their reply,
one cap for desiring a referendum 
on the monarchy, one cap
for opposing the monarchy in 
Parliament and two caps for
making the establishment of a 
Canadian republic a part of
their policy platform.
Picture
Judy Green
Judy's response was neutral having no
preference for either a monarchy or a
republic. Withdrew and endorsed
David Merner.
Score:
Picture
Picture
David Merner
David Merner supports the monarchy
and several ways that its role can be
highlighted and improved. His score
mostly suffers from a lack of public
statements on this topic.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Amita Kuttner
Amita is a republican. Most of their
score comes from including
abolishment in their platform.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Annamie Paul
Aside from acknowledging that the
Queen is Canada's head of state, Ms.
Paul had no opinion on the monarchy.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Dylan Perceval-Maxwell
Dylan was supportive of the monarchy
in his reply but lacked any public
comments to improve his overall
score. Removed from the race for
comments made during a debate.
Score:
Picture
Picture
Meryam Haddad
Meryam is a republican and thinks
the monarchy should be abolished at
some point but has not made it part of
her platform.
Score:
Picture

Loyal Quotes

"I love Prince Charles he has been an environmentalist for at
least 40 years. Bush won over Gore because the USA does
not have a Royal head of state. It is important.
"
​~Dylan Perceval-Maxwell


​I would like to thank all of the candidates for getting back to
me. While I might disagree at times with the replies I receive
it is at least good to know that politicians still take the time
to reply to ordinary Canadians.

​Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Marking Emancipation Day

8/1/2020

0 Comments

 
August 1st is Emancipation Day. It is exactly 186 years since 
the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 received royal assent. While it 
is often thought that this was done during the reign of Queen 
Victoria, it actually went into force three years before she 
ascended to the throne. That said, I thought I'd share a few 
​interesting stories to mark this anniversary.

British Empire's First Anti-slavery Act

The first act curtailing the slave trade anywheres in the British
Empire was enacted in Upper Canada, now Ontario, in 1793.
This Act Against Slavery was championed by John Graves
Simcoe who was a loyalist and served as the first lieutenant
governor of the new colony. While an abolitionist his aims
were partially thwarted by powerful members of the elected
Legislative Assembly.

The act was a compromise. Simcoe got a total ban on the
importation of slaves into the colony and freedom for any
child of a slave women at age 25. In return no slaves were
immediately freed by the act. Even so, there was an attempt
six years later to revoke the act which the un-elected
Legislative Council rejected.

​
"The principles of the British Constitution do
not admit of that slavery which Christianity
condemns. The moment I assume the
Government of Upper Canada under no
modification will I assent to a law that
discriminates by dishonest policy between
natives of Africa, America, or Europe."
~John Graves Simcoe, Address to the
Legislative Assembly


​
Picture
John Graves Simcoe

Queen Victoria and the African Princess

PictureOmoba Aina
Omoba Aina's life got off to a rough start. Born in 1843 as a
princess of the Yoruba people she was orphaned and enslaved
at the age of five by King Ghezo of Dahomey. He intended to
use her for a human sacrifice but was rescued when Captain
Frederick E. Forbes of the Royal Navy convinced King Ghezo
to gift her to Queen Victoria. The captain gave the young child
the name Sara Forbes Bonetta (Bonetta being the name of the
ship he was captain of).

In 1850 she was presented to Queen
Victoria who was impressed with her
exceptional intelligence and had her raised
as a member of the British middle class as
her Goddaughter.
 Due to health concerns
attributed to the climate of England she
returned to Africa in 1851 but was back in
England by 1855. She would be invited to
attend the wedding of Princess Alice in
1862.

Later that same year Sarah (affectionately nicknamed Sally by
the Queen) asked permission to marry a Yoruba sea captain
by the name of Captain James Pinson Labulo Davies to which
the Queen agreed. The couple moved to their native Africa
and settled in Lagos, Nigeria. The Queen continued to look
out for her goddaughter's well-being and the Royal Navy had
standing orders to evacuate Sarah in the event of an uprising
in Lagos.

Sarah would have several children with her eldest daughter
also being Queen Victoria's goddaughter. Today members of
the family live in Sierra Leon, England, and Nigeria.

Patron of the Anti-slavery Movement

PicturePrince Albert
While slavery was mostly abolished in
1833 there remained a number of exceptions and continuing violations of
the law that allowed reduced slave trading
activities to continue. There was also the
issue of the West African nations which
had practiced slavery for generations before the Europeans arrived and continued to do so. In 1839 Fowell Buxton set up the Society for the Extinction of the
Slave Trade and for the Civilization of
Africa
to oppose the slave trade. Prince Albert agreed to become the organization's patron and spoke at the society's first public meeting:

Picture
It is important to remember the past; To draw inspiration
from it, heed its warnings, to understand our times, and
reflect upon what more might remain to be done.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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Conservative Leadership Candidates and the Monarchy: Peter Mackay & Derek Sloan

7/27/2020

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This should be the final post of this series looking at the 
Conservative leadership race. I never did get a response from 
Peter Mackay or Derek Sloan. However, the Monarchist 
League of Canada put together their own overview of the tory 
candidates. As such I was able to expand Dr. Lewis' entry and 
​now have info on the last two, rather elusive, candidates.
Picture
Peter MacKay
Picture
Derek Sloan

Peter MacKay

“My own personal view is that we should embrace this particular link...to our very
origins, and embrace the fact that the Queen has continued, in a very diligent and
forthright way, to continue this lineage, this connection to our country. It is
something that I as a Canadian feel very proud to continue.... I am proud to sat...
that the constituents in my riding have expressed to me, and members of the
Monarchist League of Canada have expressed quite clearly, that they are satisfied
to continue the traditions of recognizing the Queen as the official head of Canada.
They wish to continue the symbolism and history that comes with it, and the
Governor General as Her official representative in Canada. It is something that is
inextricably linked to our country's past and something that we should proudly
embrace.” 
Interestingly, it doesn't appear Mr. MacKay got back to the
League either. The above quote is taken from a debate back in
2002 on changing the Oath of Allegiance (which can be found
here). Due to formatting, the lead-in to the quote above could
equally be from the Mackay team or a statement by the
League and function as a sort of "He didn't get back to us but
he's loyal see look here" statement. If the latter they are quite
charitable.

I do get the strategy of not replying to emails when you are
the front runner (nothing is gained and much potentially
lost). And indeed its been a consistent pattern, with a few
notable exceptions, that the farther a candidate is from being
a front runner, the quicker they get back to me. This is part of
the reason the current Green leadership race is so much fun;
there are no clear front runners.

​As far as content goes, it is supportive enough.

It should be noted that as Minister of Defence Mr. Mackay
restored the use of the 'royal' moniker to the navy.

Derek Sloan

"Canada’s constitutional monarchy provides an indispensable component of our
national identity. It's an historical constant, and an essential pillar of Canada’s
parliamentary democracy. The Crown it stands for serves both as a symbol of our
institutional unity and as a guardian of the constitutional freedoms of all Canada’s
citizens. 
Canada is renowned for having welcomed newcomers from different
cultures and parts of the world over many generations. Our constitutional
monarchy is the unique Canadian “roof” under which everyone can find an equal
and honoured  place." 
Sometimes it pays to have a larger organization when doing
these kind of things. The League was able to bring my survey
to the attention of Mr. O'Toole's campaign in the last race and
in this one got substantive answers from both Dr. Lewis and
Mr. Sloan.

It might also be due to my desire to ask a more in-depth set of
questions. The League was looking for answers to what the
"candidate's positions [are] on the constitutional monarchy
as Canada's form of government
". But I'll count any reply as
a win.

And with that, one project is out of the way for the year.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
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    This website is intended to be a resource for those arguing in favour of Canada's monarchy, researching Canada's royal past, or wondering what the various vice-regal representatives of the Canadian Crown are up to currently. As well, articles about other monarchies may appear from time to time. 

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