Wednesday, June 29, 2011

"How The Grinch Stole Canada Day"???

I suppose Kady O'Malley deserves some credit for the clever title of her latest blog post, I just fail to see what's the big deal about the Canadian embassy in Washington reducing its holiday party budget. Seriously, do we really need large scale Canada Day parties in foreign countries? This does not strike me as an issue that will lead to people swarming into the streets for mass protests, even if the Beastie Boys once declared that you gotta fight for your right to party (there is speculation that some Canadian expats who weren't invited will be staging a protest at a nearby park). Truth be told, there just isn't much happening for Kady and friends to write about these days. With Filibuster 2011 behind us, why not write a piece about how the evil Grinch reduced funding for a party in Washington? And for the record the funding was reduced, not cut entirely. So perhaps a more appropriate title for Kady's post would be "How The Grinch Reduced Funding For Hot Dogs And Pop On Canada Day"...

28 comments:

  1. Dominion Day Damnit...grumble, grumble...now where did I put my Red Ensign...

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  2. I believe you're the one missing the point. Funding was reduced which meant that Canadian citizens are blocked from celebrating their nation's birthday on "Canadian soil" in favour of US lobbyists and Capital-hill folk. If the issue was really funding than start charging an entrance fee. If there was only one day that the embassy should reach out and embrace expats you'd think it would be this day.

    Try stepping out of your bubble and into the shoes of the 2 million Canadians living in the US who are tired of being treated like second class citizens by their own country.

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  3. Yes, I missed the point that Canadians living abroad are entitled to big parties at Canadian embassies on "Dominion Day". Sorry if I don't understand the real world as well as you do.

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  4. nonny: Most of those Canadians are probably NOT in the D.C. Area. And if they are making time to travel to the Embassy, perhaps they could just fly to their homes in Canada and celebrate here.

    Iceman: nice call.

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  5. Don: There are over 1000 Canadians living in DC alone..not including Baltimore, Richmond VA or Annapolis. Hmmm...commit 2-3 days, pack up your family, pay for flight plus hotel (or stay with family for the lucky ones) to celebrate in Canada. In a perfect world we'd all love to do that. But reality dictates that the $5 metro ride or $20 parking fee it costs to celebrate with the Canadians already living in DC is the more fiscally responsible choice.

    Ice: You obviously have no idea what "Canada Day"...it's 2011 not 1982...means to expatriates. It's the one day we can all get together and proudly celebrate where we are from. For you...well...I guess it's just another Friday. As for the "big party" - in previous years it's been an hour long BBQ with hotdogs and pop. Hardly an elaborate affair..oh wait...you already knew that.

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  6. Look, Canada Day is about sharing hot dogs and pop with your friends and family. Everyone knows that. To suggest otherwise makes you unpatriotic.

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  7. Why do you even care about Katty and Sorryomon? Their viewership combined probably isn't what Optimist Bingo is on Monday nights. They are irrelevent and annoying. Ignore them. They are background noise, blackflies, Gnats, progressive gumball machines. Stop giving them Google counts!

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  8. Ice give it up Annony mouse thinks a Canada Day celibration has to be Governement sanctioned in order to mean anything. Says a lot about wher He/She is coming from.

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  9. And if I didn't have phat phingers and could spell my barbs might sting more LOL!

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  10. If I lived in Washington I'd be hoping for an opportunity to attend a Canada Day party at the Canadian Embassy if only to meet other Canadians living in the area.
    I have to say though, if the Embassy party was only open to 'friends' of Canada then I'd be heading for the park to party, er, protest with the common folk.

    I celebrated four Canada Days when I lived in Africa and because Botswana didn't have a Consulate the Canadian Consulate in Zimbabwe provided me with a package containing a huge Canadian flag, lapel flags and lyric sheets for Oh Canada.
    That was all I asked for.
    I put my own ad in the local newspaper and had fifty Canadians show up to celebrate. Most of them I was meeting for the first time and we ended up also getting together for Grey Cup and Stanley Cup parties.
    Staff at the Consulate in Harare was always welcome to attend out annual get-together but because of the 2,000 kilometres they'd have to travel none ever did.

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  11. I was going to attend a "pride day" celebration this July 1st, but the local gay community isn't having one!

    Surely I am entitled to compensation.

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  12. Cutesy whiney typical anti-CPC (NDP?) article. This time she is also showing naivity. I thought Kady was caught shrieking about the government deficit, no?

    But lefties hate cuts to favoured causes (the only approved cuts are to the military and international security - oh, and health care transfers to provinces). The Liebral media has for years ragged DFAIT for spending on entertainment and perceived "perks".

    How does she expect DFAIT to absorb hold-the-
    line cuts to their budget? Fire the 3rd Secretary, Economic? Seems to me, Gary Doer knows what he is doing.

    Kady's memory is short, as she was raised in, and loves, an era of big central government and entitlements. This party for expat Canadians living comfortably in Washington did not ALWAYS exist, as I was the spouse of a diplomat posted to the US decades ago. At that time, the federal government did not have such a huge hand in my wallet.

    As for the MANY (there are LOTs in Washington) excluded expats, get a life and have a party yourselves at your own expense, not mine. I have to buy my own hot dogs and pay taxes on my Canada Day beer.

    Such events could be deemed important in other counties (especially in the 2nd/3rd world where contacts among Canadians help families to adjust). Each Ambassador has some discretion on how to make those 2% cuts. I see no problem with Gary Doer's decision to cut the hospitality budget, nor Jim Wright's different decision for London, especially since we are hosting the Royal newlyweds in Canada on that day. I hope there is a big TV screen in Trafalgar Square.

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  13. I would rather see Gary Doer spending the entertainment budget on the Homeland Security file, as Janet probably likes food and we do not want to be sexually assaulted or nude-photed when travelling.

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  14. Will all those canadians of convenience be celebrating in Lebanon. Doubt it.

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  15. Nope ... only some of the expats of Canadian companies.

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  16. I would also like to see Ambassador Doer spend entertainment money on the financial regulation file (especially the failure of supervision) and lobbying for Canada about our collective fears about US debt and monetary policy.

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  17. I wonder how loudly O'Malley and the rest of her nitwit pals complained when it was the Liberals spending money for this nonsense.
    Drop these festivities altogether. If it requires a get together of ex-pat Canadians to make one feel like a Canadian then I would suggest these people take out citizenship in another country because obviously they have no sense of pride of country unless it can be demonstrated in a group setting. I worked out of the country on many Canada Days and never felt the need to look up a fellow Canadian. I didn't need reinforcement to know what country I believe in.

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  18. Ice: I clearly stated that in previous years the embassy had provided only hot dogs and pop...which is wonderful and a plus. No implication that it needed to be anything more than that.

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  19. WTF: Step out of your parents basement for a moment and understand that all the expats wanted was to continue to meet together to celebrate. As NielD mentioned - the embassy provides an opportunity for a large group of expats to meet in one place and meeting other Canadaians living in the area. Nothing more. What is mindboggling is that you don't seem to be incensed that they have closed the door to Canadians in favour of US lobbyists, businessmen/woman and politicios..all on the Canadian taxpayers dime.

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  20. L: WTF did you not understand when I mentioned that if the embassy was so worried about money then they should begin charging an entrance fee. Expats are very open to paying their own way...they were just never given the option.

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  21. Powell: I'll use the same argument here that I did on WTF...step out of your parents basement and try living somewhere else for a change. Then you'll understand than Canadians living abroad tend to be more patriotic. And while we are always proud of where we come from, gathering together on Canada Day gives us the opportunity to share in that pride together. Unless it's the gold medal game for the Winter Olympics... Canadians living at home tend to be less openly patriotic..which makes sense..you're already in Canada!

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  22. Powell: I'll use the same argument here that I did on WTF...step out of your parents basement and try living somewhere else for a change. Then you'll understand than Canadians living abroad tend to be more patriotic. And while we are always proud of where we come from, gathering together on Canada Day gives us the opportunity to share in that pride together. Unless it's the gold medal game for the Winter Olympics... Canadians living at home tend to be less openly patriotic..which makes sense..you're already in Canada!

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  23. I like the idea of a big screen in England showing our Canada Day celebration.

    You have to expect the lefties to whine about everything for the next 4 years, that's all they are good at.

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  24. Thanks, Hunter. You get it! Canada has to leverage its diminished marketing dollars strategically at the right time and place.

    Annony, yes, an entrance fee and cash bar is a nice option for another year. This year, though, I think Doer has the right KISS card and Washington message.

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  25. Btw, Trafalgar Square was supposed to be my home in the 1990's, as as a spouse of a diplomat, had my husband not died.

    So I do have a dog in this discussion ..

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  26. What in hell are 2 million Canadians doing living in other countries.Canada is where they should be living,not other countries.You work and play in other countries,that is your problem.Only exception is our armed forces who should have a free beer and pizza day,they deserve it.The rest of you enjoy your grey poupon or whatever.

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  27. Anonymous, allow me to express my strong suspicion that you live in your parents basement...

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  28. If anyone is stealing Canada day, it's the gays marching through Toronto. It's like the gays are TRYING to make people hate them.

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