Category: New Brunswick

Royal Residences: Fredericton Government House

7/31/2022

In late June I had the pleasure to visit New Brunswick's
Government House in Fredericton to attend a garden party
hosted by the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick,
Brenda Murphy. For those unfamiliar, a 'government house' is
the term for an official residence of the monarch in Canada
and around the Commonwealth. In Canada the government
houses also serve as the residence of Her Majesty's vice-regal
representatives.

Exterior

Note the masonry work on the right where windows/doors have been removed.

Government House was built in 1828 in the Georgian style.
However, in 1890 then Lieutenant-Governor Samuel Tilley
relocated as he felt the maintenance budget for the building
was too small (given the current ramshackle nature of the
prime minister's official residence this is believable). For the
next 109 years the building served a number of purposes
including a military barracks and headquarters of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police. In 1958 it was designated a
National Historic Site of Canada followed by a similar
provincial designation in 1996. This kicked off an effort to
refurbish the building which finished in 1999 and the building
returned to its original purpose as a government house.

Efforts were taken to find plants native to New Brunswick

The building has extensive
gardens. Indeed, the event I was
attending was in honour of Her
Majesty's Platinum Jubilee and
an addition to the ground's gardens to mark the event. There
are a number of large trees on the
property and its distance from
the downtown core gives it the feel of a private residence. The
building overlooks the Saint John River and a cycling path runs along the back between the building and the river.

The grounds are commonly used for Canada Day and New
Brunswick Day celebrations.

Tree planted in honour of former Lieutenant-Governor Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau 1956-2019

Interior

Excluding the basement (the 'dungeon') the building has three
floors with the first and second storey open to the public and
the third storey serving as the residence.

There is an extensive collection of
artwork housed on the first and
second floors. Spiral stairways at
both ends of the building provide
access to the upper floors.

One wing of the main floor is set
aside for First Nations artwork owing
to their close relationship with the
Crown.

Robes worn by Lady Dunn to the Queen's coronation

Due to the building's long history of non-use as a residence it
is one of several government houses in Canada that has never
had a monarch spend the night.

Gallery

'The Heart of the Empire' 1935. Presented to the Lieutenant-Governor in 2013 by the Monarchist League of Canada

Second Floor Gallery

First Floor Sitting Room

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Albert County Museum Jubilee Event: Speeches and a Surprise Announcement

6/4/2022

The Albert County Museum held a tree planting and reception
to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee. The event was well
attended and, besides a tipsy flag, went off without a hitch.

Speeches by the Dignitaries

There were several invited guests including a representative
from the provincial government (MLA Mike Holland), Village
of Hillsborough (Mayor Robert Rochon), Town of Riverview
(Deputy Mayor Jeremy Thorn), Royal Canadian Legion,
IODE (National President Jane Cushing), and myself as the
Chairman of the New Brunswick Branch of the Monarchist
League of Canada. While each gave a short speech I only have
the text for mine. Sufficed to say they were all lovely tributes.

Seeing you all here I am reminded of the promise offered by the Queen in the year
2020 during the first days of the pandemic; "We should take comfort that while we
may have more still to endure, better days will return: We will be with our friends
again; We will be with our families again; We will meet again.

It is good to see everyone out today as we celebrate a women who has spent 70
years in public service. In the R.B. Bennett display there is a video recounting
another Canadian monarch's feelings about their jubilee and their many years on
the throne. In it they state "I don't know why they are making such a fuss about me
now, I have only done my best." I think the Queen would say something similar. It
is this willingness to do one's best that lies at the heart of citizenship.

During the 1995 Referendum there was an incident that was embarrassing to the
government of the day but that demonstrated the Queen's willingness to serve. A
Quebec radio DJ impersonating then Prime Minister Jean Chretien managed to get
through the palace switchboard and talk to Her Majesty. During their conversation
the fake Chretien asked the Queen if she would give an address urging Quebec to
stay in Canada. She stated she would be willing to help. It should be appreciated
how difficult such an address would be to write but she was willing to do it
anyways. She was willing to do her best for Canada.

A lot has changed in 70 years but in the words of Philip Larkin speaking during the
Silver Jubilee; "In times when nothing stood, But worsened or grew strange, There
was one constant good: She did not change."

Surprise Announcement by MLA Mike
Holland on a Jubilee Medal

During Mike Holland's speech he announced that the New
Brunswick Government has decided to issue its own Platinum
Jubilee Medal. Details on eligibility will be announced in the
near future but it is likely to focus on frontline personnel.

On another front there was a bit of a good news-bad news
story. I had submitted a proposal to the Treasury Department,
with Mike Holland's assistance, for the forgiveness of all, or
most, student debt in the province as part of jubilee
celebrations. Admittedly this was a long shot shot but it never
hurts to ask. As it turns out full debt forgiveness was not on
the table but the Treasury Department did decide that they
could afford foregoing interest payments. This was announced
as a government policy, rather than a tribute to Her Majesty,
which is fine with me. I had noted in my submission that if
debt forgiveness was considered it should be more than a
token amount. Did my efforts contribute to this policy?
Impossible to say, the inner workings of government can be
opaque at times but it should be noted that even advocates for
debt forgiveness were surprised when interest payments were
ended so take that for what you will.

Anyways, that is all the news and gossip from this small
corner of Her Majesty's Canadian realm.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Platinum Jubilee Calendar of Events for June in New Brunswick

6/1/2022

Jubilee celebrations are finally starting to heat up along with
the weather. Note that this is a partial list that may be
updated as I learn about other events taking place.
Unfortunately, trying to keep track of events across the
country is a bit too much for me so I will only be keeping track
of upcoming New Brunswick events.

Thursday, June 2

Flag Raising
[Fredericton] - The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee flag will be
raised in front of City Hall on June 2, 2022 at 10 am. Her
Honour, Brenda Murphy, Lieutenant Governor of New
Brunswick and Fredericton Deputy Mayor Greg Ericson will
be in attendance. The public is invited to attend. In addition
to the flag raising, details about the planting of a grove of
trees to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be
announced. City Hall will be lit in purple from June 2-5.

Fascinator Making Workshops
[Saint Andrews] - The Wee Fabric Shop in Market Square is
hosting two fascinator making workshops (1pm - 3pm & 6pm
- 8pm) to help you get all decked out for the Royal weekend.
Suitable for all ages. There will be a “best fascinator” contest
on Saturday at the Algonquin if you choose to participate. $10
per person, per class.

Friday, June 3

British Pub Crawl
[Saint Andrews] - Kick off the Platinum Jubilee weekend with
a British pub crawl in historic St. Andrews by-the-Sea.
Participating pubs will be featuring their best British-inspired
dishes and drafts on special. List of participating pubs
available locally. 5pm to 10pm.

Saturday, June 4

Tree planting and Reception
[Hopewell Cape] - The Albert County Museum will be
holding a tree planting and reception starting at 1 pm to
honour the 70th year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. There
will be special guests, music, and a display of royal
memorabilia.

Afternoon Tea & Fascinators at the Algonquin Resort
[Saint Andrews] - Enjoy a selection of fine teas, homemade
finger sandwiches, scones and pastries by the Algonquin’s
pastry chef. $35+ per person. Seating is limited, so kindly
please reserve: james.may@algonquinresort.com. Wear a
fascinator if you are feeling fancy!

NB Youth Orchestra at KIRA Amphitheatre
[Saint Andrews] - Experience the internationally-acclaimed
New Brunswick Youth Orchestra on a stage like no other at
KIRA Amphitheatre. The Lieutenant Governor of New
Brunswick, Brenda Murphy, will be in attendance. Starts at
2pm.

Platinum Jubilee Gala Dinner at DrewHaven Town &
Country
[Saint Andrews] - To commemorate the Queen's seven
decades of service, DrewHaven (255 Water St) is hosting a
gala fundraiser dinner at 6:30pm with special guest
Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, Brenda Murphy,
with all proceeds going to relief for Ukraine. Enjoy a five-
course dinner with wine and cocktails, a live 3-piece band
featuring bagpipes and a silent auction featuring artwork
inspired by Queen Elizabeth II. $125 per ticket. Space is
limited to 80 guests, so kindly make reservations with
DrewHaven by calling or texting: 506-467-5508.

Sunday, June 5

Tree Planting Ceremony at Centennial Park, 9am
[Saint Andrews] - In honour of the Queen’s 70 years on the
throne, the Town of Saint Andrews is planting 70 trees
throughout the community. Mayor Brad Henderson and
members of council will be on site at Centennial Park across
from the historic Blockhouse to plant the final 70th tree, a
Royal Oak, to commemorate her Majesty at 9am.

Community Church Service
[Saint Andrews] - Archdeacon John Matheson is leading a
special Platinum Jubilee Church Service honouring Queen
Elizabeth II’s seven decades of service at the All Saints Church
located at 77 King Street. Service begins at 11am

Complimentary Community Garden Party
[Saint Andrews] - The community is invited to share
friendship, food and fun with neighbours as part of the
Platinum Jubilee celebrations directly following the church
service in the front lawn of the Anglican Parish Hall at 75 King
Street. The event is generously sponsored by DrewHaven and
begins at 12:30am.

Televised Coronation Service on CHCO-TV, 1pm and 6pm
[Saint Andrews] - The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on
June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London when she was
just 25 years old. Watch the entire ceremony on local
television station CHCO-TV (Bell Fibe 26, Bell Satellite 539,
Cable 126 and Ignite 133 or live-streamed on chco.tv) at 1pm
and 6pm.

Afternoon Tea at the Algonquin Resort
Enjoy a selection of fine teas, homemade finger sandwiches,
scones and pastries by the Algonquin’s pastry chef. $35+ per
person. Seating is limited, so kindly please reserve:
james.may@algonquinresort.com.

Thursday, June 9

Platinum Jubilee Concert
[Fredericton] - A Platinum Jubilee Concert in front of City
Hall will be held from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m, the same night as the
return of the Garrison Night Market. More details will be
released closer to the event.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The New Brunswick Branch of the Monarchist League of Canada once again has Vice-Regal Patronage

2/27/2021

I mentioned back in October, 2018 that I had been named
chairman of the New Brunswick Branch of the Monarchist
League of Canada. 2019 was a good year with contacts being
reestablished, educational materials distributed to a few
schools in south-east New Brunswick, and a Victoria Day
luncheon in Fredericton for the membership to discuss
priorities going forward. And then the pandemic threw a
wrench into efforts to put those priorities into practice in
2020. The only progress made that year was to double the
number of people liking the Branch's Facebook page as more
people retreated inside and online.

At the back of my mind there was one loose end that needed
to be addressed at some point. Before the departure of Barry
MacKenzie the branch had been granted the honour of having the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick agree to be the
branch patron. However, so much time had gone by that I
felt this relationship should be renewed.

With 2021 looking somewhat easier to predict I went to work
tying up this loose end. I can report that earlier this month
Lieutenant Governor Brenda Murphy graciously agreed to
renew the relationship between the New Brunswick Branch
and Her Honour. An except from the letter delivered to me:

Her Honour, The Honourable Brenda L. Murphy, ONB, Lieutenant
Governor of New Brunswick has asked me to thank you for the request
for Her Honour to grant her patronage to the New Brunswick Branch of
the Monarchist League of Canada.

Her Honour would be most pleased to lend the support of her office to
your very worthwhile organization and looks forward to serving as
your Patron. On Her Honour’s behalf, I always welcome the
opportunity to discuss how the Lieutenant Governor might participate
in your activities.

The Lieutenant Governor appreciates being kept informed about
changes within her various patronage organizations. Thank you for the
information that you included in your email of November 2020. I would
ask that you continue to forward your organization’s annual report, financial statements and any other relevant documents for our files as
they become available. This task can be completed electronically or by
reference to a website, as you have done.

We look forward to our ongoing relationship with the Monarchist
League of Canada, NB Branch.

Her Honour was also kind enough to send along a video with a message of encouragement for the branch membership.

While in-person events are still a no-go the Branch will be
more active in the coming year than the previous one.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Queen's (and King's) Counsel

12/20/2020

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?

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

The Canadian Monarchy in the Year Ahead

12/26/2019

While 2019 has been an exciting year politically, the Canadian
Monarchy has been low-key in a lot of ways. The Governor
General seems to have adapted to her new role and put her
mark on it. The government's questionable decision to cancel
the free royal portrait program was balanced out by the recent
appointment of a new Canadian Secretary to the Queen. Of
course the Queen finished off the year with her Christmas
message as she always does. That one of Her Majesty's themes
was reconciliation is apropos to Canada.

But as we inch towards the New Year I wanted to take a
minute to look at what is known to lie ahead and what can
with some certainty be predicted.

Leadership Races

Elizabeth May

Both the Conservatives and the Greens
will have leadership races in 2020. As is
my tradition I will be submitting a list of
questions to all the candidates. Both of
the out-going leaders are monarchists
with Elizabeth May being very vocal
over the years about this and Andrew
Scheer being the leader of Her Majesty's
Loyal Opposition. So I am sad to see
their time as leaders come to an end.
But at the same time there is a silver
lining to be seen.

Either by accident, or design, Mr. Scheer repelled Maxime
Bernier from the Conservative Party. Long-time readers may
recall that Mr. Bernier did not score highly on the last
survey I conducted. That the man who came in a close second
last time has zero chance in the up-coming contest is a relief.

I have greater concerns about the Green Party which seems to be at a cross-roads of sorts. Elizabeth May has been a strong
influence within the party for so long that I can't make any
predictions about what her successor would be like.

The New Democrats

I still have concerns about Mr. Singh's republicanism but
the party itself looks better going into 2020. Declared
monarchist Randall Garrison kept his seat in a reduced
caucus and the minority government situation should keep
the NDP from putting forward any damaging proposals.

Polls

At some point there will be an opinion poll on the monarchy.
The poll will show Canadians love the Queen more than our
politicians, are evenly divided on the monarchy itself, and are
ambivalent about Prince Charles. Reporters will conveniently
forget that ambivalence is actually an improvement and fret
about the future of the monarchy. Having finished this
pantomime for another year we will give ourselves a pat on
the back and agree to meet again in another 8-12 months.

Royal Homecomings

While none have been announced to my knowledge with the
appointment of a New Canadian Secretary to the Queen we
may hope that one is in the works.

Monarchy in New Brunswick

Just this week a group in New Brunswick launched a court
action over the recent appointment Brenda Murphy as the
province's Lieutenant-Governor. This case will likely play out
over the coming year. My gut feeling is that it won't go
anywheres but you never know. Something to watch closely.

Monarchist League in New Brunswick

Personally, I have finished out my first full year as Chairman
of the New Brunswick Branch of the Monarchist League of
Canada. Out-reach and educational activities were largely confined to the South-East. This is a situation that I will be
working to address.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

New Brunswick Branch of the Monarchist League of Canada gets a new Chairman... Me?

10/23/2018

During the recent provincial election
(which I took part in) I was offered the
position of Chairman of the New
Brunswick branch of the Monarchist
League of Canada. The branch had
been sadly inactive since 2015 when
Barry MacKenzie stepped down as
chairman.

Barry left a void and it could not be easily filled. Earlier this
year the League finally put out a call for volunteers to help
rebuild the New Brunswick branch. I volunteered and figured
I could be of use to whoever they decided to put in charge of
rebuilding efforts. Imagine my surprise when that person
turned out to be me.

When I received the offer over the summer I initially sent
back an email refusing the position. My intention to run in
the election and the time investment in various other projects
left me doubting I could give it my 100% best effort. As fate
would have it my email was never delivered and I was
contacted again about leading the rebuilding efforts while I
was campaigning in the election.

This time I gave it a bit more thought and decided I would try
it. There was several other volunteers so things wouldn't fall
all on my shoulders. With that and a few other minor
concerns dealt with I accepted the position.

There is a lot of room to grow League efforts in the province
and my long term goals are as follows:
-Having annual events in all three major cities in NB.
-Increasing membership among Acadians.
-Putting the NB Branch on steady footing for the future.
An ambitious calendar of activities and initiatives is being
drawn up for the coming year. Stay tuned!

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Monarchist League on Facebook

5/31/2017

Ironically, for all the talk of the internet isolating people it
also has great usefulness in bringing people together. The
Monarchist League of Canada has various social media
accounts, of course, but some may not know that the
League's many branches maintain at least a Facebook
presence. I have taken the time to list them below:

New Brunswick
Facebook
Twitter

Halifax - SW Nova Scotia
Facebook

Northumberland and NE Nova Scotia

Quebec
Facebook

Ottawa - Ontario
Facebook

Barrie-Huronia - Ontario
Facebook

University of Toronto - Ontario
Facebook

Waterloo-Wellington - Ontario
Facebook

South Saskatchewan
Facebook
Twitter

Lethbridge and Medicine Hat - Alberta
Facebook

Victoria - British Columbia
Facebook

I find it encouraging that most of these pages have a healthy
number of members and are active. Even better, each page
has avoided that common pitfall of redundancy. They all have
a little bit of individuality to what is posted rather than being carbon copies of the League's main page.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Celebrating Our Queen

9/8/2015

Cross-posted from monarchistnb

Tomorrow, September 9th, our Queen will become the
longest-reigning Sovereign in modern Canadian history, and
the longest in all of British history. For nearly 64 years,
Elizabeth II has reigned over a diverse and sometimes
troubled Commonwealth of Nations, and somehow she has
only become more beloved over time.

For her part, Her Majesty seems not likely to mark this
historic milestone in an official way. That said, celebrations
are taking place across the Commonwealth. In Canada, we
have a particularly unique set of celebrations scheduled in
municipalities from coast to coast. Thanks to the tireless
efforts of our Dominion and Branch officers, and with the
cooperation of municipal representatives and employees, well
over 125 towns, cities and villages will be hosting a simple
commemoration tomorrow in their communities. The
municipalities range in size from Flowers Cove, NL, to
Mississauga, ON.

In New Brunswick, at least nine municipalities will be hosting
celebrations, and at Government House in Fredericton several
events, including a stunning exhibit on the province’s
connection with the Crown, will highlight the significance of
the day.

Elizabeth II has given her entire adult life in service to her
people. In her 90th year, she seems well poised to continue, as
long as her excellent health should continue. May she
continue to reign, gloriously, over each and every one of us.

God Save the Queen!

Loyally Yours,
Barry R. MacKenzie

New Brunswick's Flag, Its Royal Origins, and the Debate it Avoided

3/29/2015

On February 24th New Brunswick's provincial flag turned 50.
In 1964 it looked like New Brunswick was headed towards a
flag debate that would mirror the national flag debate.

The Liberal government of New Brunswick learned that the
opposition was planning to forego debating the Speech from
the Throne and instead bring forward a motion to give New
Brunswick a provincial flag modeled on the Red Ensign.

In what seems today like a paranoid over-reaction it was felt
the Liberals would have to vote against such a motion (why
has not been adequately explained). This, would result in the
anglophones and francophones of the province becoming
divided.

With a degree of urgency the premier's administrative
assistant, Robert Pichette, set to work on a design for New
Brunswick's new flag. This he accomplished in two weeks
while the Premier was on holidays.

To Mr. Pichette's credit he avoided being overly innovative.
The national flag debate had been a divisive affair precisely
because the prime minister wanted a completely new flag. Mr.
Pichette instead reached back into New Brunswick's past for
inspiration.

In 1868 a coat of arms had been granted to New Brunswick
by a Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria. The coat of arms paid
tribute to the arms of England and the Duchy of Brunswick in
Germany through the inclusion of a gold lion on a red field.

A sailing ship was included which originally spoke to the
coming of the Loyalists and later to New Brunswick's
shipbuilding heritage. The technical term for the heraldic ship
is a 'lymphad' and is primarily used in Scottish heraldry. Best
of all a banner version of the arms had been used previously
to represent the New Brunswick Premier at official events.

When the Premier returned from holidays he learned about
the political problem and its ready-made solution. The flag
was announced in the Speech from the Throne and was
offered with "thanks to Queen Victoria of Happy Memory" as
she had authorized the original grant of arms. There was no
opposition voiced and editorials were positive. The flag was
officially adopted by proclamation on February 24, 1965.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

<<Previous

Royal Residences: Fredericton Government House

Exterior

Interior

Gallery

Albert County Museum Jubilee Event: Speeches and a Surprise Announcement

Speeches by the Dignitaries

Surprise Announcement by MLA Mike
Holland on a Jubilee Medal

Platinum Jubilee Calendar of Events for June in New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Branch of the Monarchist League of Canada once again has Vice-Regal Patronage

Queen's (and King's) Counsel

The Canadian Monarchy in the Year Ahead

Leadership Races

The New Democrats

Polls

Royal Homecomings

Monarchy in New Brunswick

Monarchist League in New Brunswick

New Brunswick Branch of the Monarchist League of Canada gets a new Chairman... Me?

The Monarchist League on Facebook

Celebrating Our Queen

New Brunswick's Flag, Its Royal Origins, and the Debate it Avoided

About

Archives

Categories

Exterior

Interior

Gallery

Speeches by the Dignitaries

Surprise Announcement by MLA Mike Holland on a Jubilee Medal

Leadership Races

The New Democrats

Polls

Royal Homecomings

Monarchy in New Brunswick

Monarchist League in New Brunswick

About

Archives

Categories

Surprise Announcement by MLA Mike
Holland on a Jubilee Medal