Irish Nationalisms and Canadian Confederation

Abstract

“All the news just repeats itself,” runs a line in John Prine’s song “Hello in There.” Read Toronto’s newspapers, and you’ll find that the city loses its innocence roughly every five years. Read Canadian history books or – if you have a strong enough constitution – watch Canadian history on television, and you’ll find that Canada was “made” over and over again. Canada was made on September 13th 1759, when the impeccably dressed General James Wolfe scaled L’Anse au Foulon (with a little help from his friends) and secured Canada for the British Empire. No, scratch that. Stephen Harper assured us that it was made during the War of 1812. Or, if you’re John Ralston Saul, it was made by the Lafontaine- Baldwin alliance and responsible government in 1848. Not so, says Richard Gwyn; Sir John A Macdonald was “the man who made us.” Roll over, Sir John; Justin Trudeau told us earlier this month that Canada was born at Vimy Ridge. Wrong again; we also read that Tommy Douglas and Medicare gave Canada its distinct identity. The country has had more remakes than Star Trek.