FYI: our 2-headed Country's markets are closed on Monday to celebrate a strange 2-headed Holiday.
On the one part, Upper Canada (now Ontario, Maritimes, and Western provinces) celebrates Victoria's Day, i.e. Her Majesty The Queen of the British Empire.
On the second part, Lower Canada (now Québec) celebrates the National Patriots' Day (Journée nationale des patriotes) created "to underline the importance of the struggle of the Patriots for the national recognition of our people, for its political liberty and to obtain a democratic system of government". As a matter of fact, the Patriots (the rebels) fought in 1838 to challenge Her Majesty with a Déclaration of Independance:
WE, in the name of the people of Lower Canada, ...,SOLEMNLY DECLARE:—
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That from this day forward, the PEOPLE OF LOWER CANADA are absolved from all allegiance to Great Britain, and that the political connexion between that Power and Lower Canada, is now dissolved.
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That a REPUBLICAN form of Government is best suited to Lower Canada, which is this day declared to be a REPUBLIC.
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That under the Free Government of Lower Canada, all persons shall enjoy the same rights: the Indians shall no longer be under any civil disqualification, but shall enjoy the same rights as all other citizens in Lower Canada.
Our fellow American patriots, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, ..., succeeded in a similar task some 60 years before... with the strong support and the true help of France. Our Patriots failed, tough, the insurrection was easily put down by the British army, with no help nor support by our mother France, ruined as She was at the time following costly wars... Our Patriots have all ended hanged at the Pied du Courant prison in Montreal. Sad but History.
But can you imagine that Country is partying today on such opposite events!!! It's like if Virginia had a Queen's Day on the 4th of July... And we cheers at each other.
Cheers to my fellow canadians!
GLTA.
BaBe.
(NB. Source of historics : Wikipedia)
