Posts Tagged ‘Thomas D’Arcy McGee’
Irish revolutionary murdered for embracing Canadian pluralism
(In the February issue of Celtic Life International, I write about Thomas D’Arcy McGee, the Irish revolutionary who became the great Canadian champion of minorities and First Nations.) On April 7, 1868, after participating in a late-running session in the Canadian House of Commons, the most eloquent democrat ever to emerge from the Irish diaspora…
Read MoreJohn A. Macdonald made mistakes . . . because he had lost Thomas D’Arcy McGee
Again this morning, on CBC radio, we heard the now familiar attack on John A. Macdonald: how in building the Canadian Pacific Railway, and not incidentally laying the foundations of Canada, Macdonald mistreated the native peoples. There is no disputing the allegation. But I would suggest, and do so in Celtic Lightning, that this was…
Read MoreDid I vote today? Heck no!
No, I did not vote today. Instead, I voted days ago at an advance poll. I am so desperate for change that I could not wait. In Celtic Lightning, I identify Democracy as one of Canada’s five foundational values, and show how it took hold in this country thanks to such figures as Robert Burns,…
Read MoreThomas D’Arcy McGee could have saved Louis Riel
So here we have Louis Riel’s tombstone. It’s located in the Cimetiere de la Cathedrale de Saint-Boniface. From the Fort Garry Hotel in the heart of Winnipeg, I walked through the VIA-Rail train station, crossed over the Red River on Esplanade Riel, and made my way along the river to the tombstone. I was especially…
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