Category: Young Monarchists

Monarchist League of Canada Publishes 6th Triennial Survey on the Cost of the Canadian Crown

11/18/2016

Canadian Monarchist League Flag

The Monarchist League of Canada
announced this week the completion
of its 6th Survey on the cost of the
Canadian Monarchy. The survey is
done every three years and serves to
give accurate information on how
much the monarchy costs Canadians.

The Cost of Canada’s Constitutional Monarchy

The survey found that the monarchy costs Canadians approx.
$54,995,107 (or $1.53 per Canadian) during the fiscal year
2014-2015. This represents a drop of 7% since the last survey.
The survey includes comparisons with other government
institutions such as the Senate ($2.38 per Canadian), House
of Commons ($11.76 per Canadian), and CBC ($28.95 per
Canadian).

The survey is quite detailed and helps counter disinformation
spread by republicans as to what the monarchy actually costs.
Often such disinformation is spread in order to argue that a
president would be cheaper for Canada. The section looking at
the costs of several different republican heads of state is
included for this reason.

League's Coat of Arms

In other League news three new Branch
Chairmen have started:
-Angela Barrett has become Chairman of
the new Prince Edward Island Branch.
-Dave Willer has become Chairman of the
Niagara Region Branch which has split from
the Greater Hamilton Region.
-Bobby Paolini has taken over the Greater
Hamilton Region Branch.

As well, Paul Partington has taken on the task of forming a
Young Monarchist group in the Halifax area. The League does
good work and its initiatives are always appreciated.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Young Monarchists: An Interview With Dylan Mainprize

7/17/2016

The Monarchist League of Canada has announced that Neil
MacAlasdair has stepped down as National Young Monarchist
Chairman in order to continue his studies at Cambridge
University. Taking his place as National Chairman is Dylan
Mainprize of Dundas, Ontario. I caught up with Dylan in
order to ask him about his new duties.

A Kisaragi Colour: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Dylan Mainprize: Well I'm a 4th year student at McMaster
University studying communication studies and history. For
the most part I'd said I'm not terribly out of the ordinary, I
love hockey (the Montreal Canadiens specifically), soccer,
running, rugby, jokes and spending time with my friends -
nothing particularly exceptional. I'd said what defines me
most as a person is my loyalty to my country. My friends often
joke that I can be a tad over-zealous at times with in comes to
my nation, but the way I see it the love of country is an
inherently selfless love. A focus on your community has the
greater capacity to promote good as opposed to an inward-
looking individualistic focus, which is not necessarily a
negative thing but not really my style.

AKC: How did you come to be a monarchist?

DM: I'm a monarchist because I'm Canadian. Perhaps not a
complicated answer, but the most accurate one. I support my
country in all its endeavours and I do not separate the concept
of my country and my Queen. Her Majesty the Queen, and the
Crown in general, is deeply intertwined with Canadian
culture, of which I am a product of - I was taught English and
French (the ladder unfortunately is not at the level it should
be), read "The Hockey Sweater", studied our history and
indeed raised to recognize the benefits I have because of my
Queen and Country. The Crown is a part of my heritage - a
part of Canadian heritage.

AKC: You have just been named the National Chairman of
the Young Monarchists. How did this come about?

DM: I've been a member of the League for a while now and
with Neil MacAlasdair stepping down to pursue his studies I
suppose I seemed to be a logical choice. I hesitate to declare
myself a uniquely charismatic person, I'd not want to seem
too self-aggrandizing, but I do believe I'm good a interacting
with people and building relationships. For that reason I do
believe I will be an effective representative of the League and
Chairman of the Young Monarchists.

AKC: What will your duties consist of?

DM: My duties will be to promote the League among our
nation's youth, help organize existing Young Monarchists and
to grow youth membership.

AKC: You mentioned before that you are a student at
McMaster University. What has been the response to the
Young Monarchists on campus?

DM: I'd say the response has been mostly positive. Many
University students are curious about the Crown in Canada
and often passively support its vital role. The struggle is to
translate this passive support into a more active support. I do
not necessarily expect every student with monarchist leanings
to join the League, of course I'd be thrilled for them to join,
but I see any student going out of their way to learn more
about one of their culture's most important institutions to be
a success story. Once in while I will run into a fervent
republican but I'd say overt hostility to the Crown and the
League is rare.

AKC: The Young Monarchists recently produced a series of
videos about its activities which were posted and shared
online. How important do you feel online promotion is
compared to word of mouth?

DM: Given the huge role social media and the internet play in
today's society, particularly among the youth, I consider
maintaining and expanding an online presence to be of
utmost importance. As with any national organization the
League has to go where the people are. Today people are
spending more and more time online, adapting to the new
media landscape is how the League can build a larger
following among the youth. Gaining followers by word of
mouth is certainly wonderful but online expansion has
potential to reach new audiences that may not have any
substantial connections to the League.

I'd like to thank Dylan for taking the time to answer my questions and I look forward to seeing what direction he takes
the Young Monarchists in the future.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Canadian Federal Parties Reveal Stances on the Monarchy

9/28/2015

The Monarchist League of Canada has contacted each of the
four main federal parties to find out their stances on Canada's
monarchy. The question asked was:
"Do <leader's name> and the <party name> support the
continuance of the constitutional monarchy as Canada's
form of governance?"

All four parties replied. The following are the party's
responses listed in alphabetical order.

Conservative Party

"Canada's system of government, one of the most stable and enduring democracies
in the world, is rooted in constitutional monarchy and the institution of the
Canadian Crown.

For over six decades, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been steadfast and selfless
in her service to Canada and the Commonwealth. This year we marked yet another
milestone when, on September 8, 2015, Her Majesty surpassed the reign of her
great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria (1837-1901) to become the longest
reigning monarch of the modern era. In the entire history of Canada, it is a reign
surpassed only by King Louis XIV (1643-1715).

Our Conservative government is proud to celebrate Canada's history, our traditions
and institutions, and the values we hold dear as Canadians. As we look forward to
the celebration of the 150th anniversary of our Confederation and beyond, the
unique institution of the Canadian Crown will continue to be a central feature of
our parliamentary democracy."

Green Party

"On behalf of Elizabeth May, I would like to share Ms. May's speech in the House of Commons, on the occasion of the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Reign of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II: Link"

Liberal Party

"Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in Canadian history and
remains a beloved figure for many Canadians. Over the past 63 years, she has
stood with Canada through key moments of our country's history and, as our
nation underwent change and transformation, has been a rock of stability and a
steadfast keeper of tradition. The Liberal Party has no intention of re-opening the
Canadian constitution on this issue. Her Majesty will remain an integral part of our
country's evolution, progress, and future."

New Democratic Party

"The NDP is not planning any changes to our current form of the parliamentary
system. Our focus is on meeting the challenges of middle-class families for better
jobs, affordable childcare and reliable healthcare."

While getting answers from the parties was nice I would have
preferred a bit more 'meat'. Ian McKechnie of the Young
Monarchists came up with some questions in June that
would have been far more informative. But I can understand
that if the questions were too specific no answers might have
been forthcoming. I do have a problem with the New
Democrat's response since its false. The New Democrats have
stated they wish to abolish the Senate which is a change to
our parliamentary system. Their response also doesn't even
mention the monarchy. In short it is a rather weak response.

A big thank you to the Monarchist League of Canada for going
through the trouble of wrangling the responses.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Young Monarchists: An Interview With Neil MacAlasdair

10/14/2014

While I have been posting news about the activities of the Young Monarchists of Canada for a while now I have neglected to explain exactly who they are and what they do. To rectify this I recently caught up with Neil MacAlasdair and interviewed him concerning the group's purpose and activities.

A Kisaragi Colour: For those who don't know, who are The Young Monarchists and what is your role with them?

Neil MacAlasdair: The Young Monarchists are the youth wing of The Monarchist League of Canada, the national organisation that seeks to educate Canadians regarding the Crown in Canadian life, and advocate on its behalf in communities across Canada. Steven [Uren] is the chairman of the YM's, and I am the vice-chairman. We co-ordinate all the activities of the YM's across the country, and undertake various projects aimed at educating young people about the Canadian Monarchy.

AKC: How did this group come to be formed?

NM: The Young Monarchists were formed about 15 years ago, when the league's website (monarchist.ca) went up, and significant numbers of young people began joining the league. Due to the size of the country and how expensive national communication was previously, however, we have only really been active in the past 6-7 years.

AKC: Recently The Young Monarchists put together a number of short videos promoting itself and the monarchy. Was this the group's first project?

NM: The Video project was certainly the first videos the Young Monarchists have put together, and, to my knowledge, the first films the league has ever made about itself. YM's have certainly undertaken previous projects, however, like our successive poster campaigns, the first of which was last spring. Since Steven and I took over just over a year ago now, we've also had a number of pub nights at various centres of YM activity.

AKC: There is a certain perception that young Canadians are not interested in the monarchy. What kind of reaction do you generally get on college campuses?

NM: Undoubtedly, the most common reaction we get on campuses is curiosity. Most students are simply surprised to learn that there is an organisation dedicated to promoting and educating people about the monarchy on campus.

AKC: What do you think is the widely-held misconception about the monarchy in Canada?

NM: I think undoubtedly the most widely-held misconception in Canada with regard to the Monarchy is that somehow 'The Queen of England' (a title that doesn't even exist anymore) somehow 'rules' Canada, and that we need to "become fully independent" by becoming a republic. While there are others, like people confusing the GG for the head of state, none seem as prevalent and plainly incorrect as thinking that Canada is not a fully independent country whose head of state is the Queen of Canada.

AKC: Is the group planning anything for the immediate future?

NM: We are hoping to have a card distribution campaign across campuses where we have representation across Canada. We're also hoping to produce another video, in French, about the league.

I would like to thank Neil for taking the time to answer my questions and I wish the group all the best in the coming years.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Academic Study of Monarchy

9/23/2014

Monarchy is humanity's oldest and most prevalent form of government. Despite this the academic study of monarchy as a form of government is surprisingly weak. While the philosophical study of monarchy has its noted thinkers you would be hard-pressed to find a scholar who has delved into the data to determine what effect, if any, monarchy has on a country in a practical rather than theoretical way.

The reason for this I believe is two-fold: Accounting for the myriad of competing factors (culture, history, government policy, religion, etc) needed to form a conclusion about monarchy itself and, until recently, an inability to access the data needed to form conclusions. The development of the internet and the explosion in country development indexes is making both problems, if not easy to deal with, at least manageable. It must be remembered that republicanism gained predominance in the aftermath of the First Wold War. You and I have access to far more accurate information than people of that era could ever hope to have.

Its not like there is a complete dearth of research on the institution of monarchy but you really need to search. Christian Bjørnskov & Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard of the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University produced a working paper in 2008 titled Economic Growth and Institutional Reform in Modern Monarchies and Republics: A Historical Cross-Country Perspective 1820-2000. Its primary argument was that while monarchies and republics handled small reforms equally well large reforms produced a 'valley of tears' in republics where economic growth decreased while monarchies actually experienced slightly increased economic growth.

This is the kind of thing that inevitably helps us monarchists. While historical, emotional, theoretical, and cultural arguments are valid they can only take us so far. I firmly believe that it is hard data on what having a monarch does for a country that is needed to confront republicans. Remember what I wrote earlier: many republics were formed before the tools were in place to critique their performance. Another way of putting it is they have gotten a free ride for far too long. Its not like the data isn't already interesting before you even get into it seriously but it can be very hard to interpret.

For starters, take a look at any number of development indexes and you will find that monarchies invariably occupy between 5-7 of the top spots and have a distinct absence from the bottom rankings. Now this by itself is not as useful as you'd think. Instability tends to favour the formation of republics and lower development across the board so a chronically unstable state would both be at the bottom of an index and likely be a republic. By the same token it is difficult to say whether stable monarchies are stable because they are monarchies or monarchies because they are stable. However, it is an interesting phenomenon which might have underlying causes connected to monarchism, if only people would look.

Finland: An anomaly to be explained

For university students this all presents an interesting opportunity. As university students they will be asked to research a wide range of topics. Many of these fields of study are very old and have long had the 'low-hanging fruit' discovered by others. As a result many arguments are retreads of earlier research. However, since the study of monarchy seems to be in its infancy there is a real chance to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of this government form.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Young Monarchists Video #3

8/7/2014

The third, and final, video released by the Young Monarchists as part of their summer project detailing the work they do. The previous videos can be found here and here.

Its good to see the Young Monarchists so active lately and I look forward to their future projects.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Young Monarchists Video #2

7/13/2014

The second video released by the Young Monarchists. You can find the first video here.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Young Monarchists Video #1

6/23/2014

The Young Monarchists from Chris Jefferies on Vimeo.

The first in a series of videos put together by the Young Monarchists. Good job guys and gals.

UPDATE: A copy has also been uploaded to Youtube.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

This Week in Monarchy: June 1-7th

6/7/2014

June 1st

Starting off the week we have the Young Monarchists who are putting together a series of short films about why Canadians feel loyal to the Maple Crown as well as detailing their own activities. The Monarchist League of Canada is holding a silent auction to help out with this summer project.

June 2nd

Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston volunteered their time at The Ottawa Mission as part of the TELUS Day of Giving. Their Excellencies served food and refreshments during the community barbecue. This is part of the Governor General's 'My Giving Moment' campaign that encourages Canadians to give back to their communities.

June 3rd

Tom Sutton-Smith, a former Winnipegger, found out on Tuesday that a painting he had done of the Duchess of Cambridge had been presented to William and Kate the previous week. The royal couple were apparently delighted by the painting and intend to display it in their home. The painting was apparently done on a whim after outcry over the Duchess' official portrait making her look too old.

The Honourable Philip S. Lee, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba hosted a Reception in honour of the volunteers of Beyond Borders at Government House.

The Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia announced the winners of the inaugural 'Sing Me a Song' program. Link

June 4th

On the 4th The Honourable Philip S. Lee attended the Opening Ceremonies of the Winnipeg International Children's Festival at The Forks as well as the University of Manitoba Convocation.

Back to the Governor General who hosted a reception in honour of Canada's 2014 Olympic and Paralympic teams. The text of His Excellency's speech can be found here.

June 5th

HRH The Duke of York was at Fort York National Historic Site in Ontario. The Duke is Colonel-in-Chief of The Queen's York Rangers and presented them with new battle honours. This is not the only connection to Ontario the Duke has as he also spend six months studying at Lakefield College School.

The Honourable David C. Onley was also in attendence. Since 2011 the incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Ontario has served as a Colonel of the Regiment of The Queen’s York Rangers.

Returning to The Honourable Philip S. Lee who Hosted a Reception to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Kidney Foundation of Canada - Manitoba Branch at Government House.

Also on the 5th Lt.-Gov. Graydon Nicholas of New Brunswick issued a statement in wake of the tragic shootings in Moncton:

"I ask New Brunswickers to come together in light of this tragedy. The RCMP deserves our encouragement and our thanks. The victims, their families and the entire community need the support and sympathy of our province, as we all try better to understand how this could happen here at home.

Hug your family a little tighter today.

Now is the time to come together in prayerful solidarity. These tragic events are a time for all of us to reflect on mental illness, and the warning signs of those in need.

We can all help those who feel there is no way out. We can talk, listen, pray, console and try to better understand. But it takes just one person to see the warning signs.

Now, as we try to comprehend how this could happen, I ask for calm, for reflection, and for prayer. Prayer can be a great healer. And now, those affected need our support, our condolences and our prayers."

June 6th

The Governor General Marked the 70th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. On behalf of the people of Canada, Their Excellencies laid a wreath in memory of the more than 5000 Canadians who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom.

The Queen of Canada, The Prince of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family were in northern France to commemorate the D-Day landings. Prince Charles spoke at the Juno Beach Centre. Link

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour