Happy Canada Day :)

Friday July 1^st marked Canada’s 144^th birthday, celebrating the formation of the country in 1867. Of course let’s not forget that Canada was inhabited by First Nations people for thousands of years, until the Europeans showed up bringing disease and claims of rights to the land. Spain, Portugal, France and Great Britain got stuck in, trading, taking resources, marrying, hunting bison to the point of extinction, causing starvation, and tussling over who had more right to be there. Both France and Britain made alliances with First Nations people in the hope of winning more, but Britain generally did pretty well out of it. It was a relatively peaceful takeover, but it really couldn’t have been that nice being told to assimilate to European culture and being classed as culturally, religiously, politically and technologically inferior, as well as being shoved off their land. With the country progressing in a way the Europeans wanted, sometime in the late 19^th century, General Governor someone or other decided it was about time to call on her majesty’s loving subjects throughout Canada to join and celebrate the formation of a country called Canada.

People didn’t start celebrating the day until the first half of the 20^th century, and only then sporadically. It wasn’t until 1958 that it became an annual do, and it seems to have grown ever since. So what do people do on Canada Day? Some went to mass pancake breakfasts, watched street parades, and fireworks. Others watched outdoor concerts and ate at salmon bbqs. Some people decided to gather in the middle of the city and openly celebrate marijuana together. I chose to see what that was all about.

Outside Vancouver Art Gallery, a downtown square had turned into an open cannabis farmers market, an event to celebrate the plant, and a public call for the end of prohibition. Stalls sold marijuana cookies and brownies, seeds and seedling plants, and smoking paraphernalia. Organisations had stalls with petitions for the legalisation of the plant, and some organisations fighting for marijuana for medical uses. As well as the official stalls there were guys and gals openly selling weed and joints, prepared with huge quantities, dressed in Canadian flags and merry outfits. There was a stage set up with bands and marijuana advocates making speeches. It was pretty surreal, relating to the UK where police arrest stats would be sky high at such an event. Curious about this, I talked to a cop who was standing nearby, observing the crowds. Asking why this is allowed, he explained that people were protesting, and they have the right to protest. He said there were 6 of them on duty; no more were needed as trouble is unlikely. The only time they would intervene is if things got out of hand. ‘What would getting out of hand mean?’ I asked. He replied ‘You know if people took over the streets, like at the riots. But people are unlikely to do that here. These people aren’t drinking alcohol, these people aren’t aggressive’. With this positive attitude, the acceptance for this event was clear, and it was reciprocated, with organisers thanking police for allowing their freedom of speech and also their presence at the event.

It was an insightful Canada Day celebration to be at, very different, great for people watching, and generally entertaining. It is very much part of the culture here; France have their wine, Belgium have their beers, Newcastle has it’s broon, and BC has it’s bud. Vancouver is a city that takes a progressive stance on marijuana as well as other things. I’m not sure the Governor who called on this celebration in 18-something, sitting with his glass of legal high, would approve of ever have imagined such an event, and would certainly not have partaken….would he?!