Happy Birthday Canada 150

Happy Canada Day!

What a wonderful country we have. We are lucky.

We are lucky to live in ‘the true North, strong and free’ where we are free to be the best person we can imagine. I am lucky to live in a country where my children and grandchildren have those same opportunities.

Stand For Canada

I am happy to stand for Canada. However, the person on the right side of the photo looks too tired to stand for Canada.

Ottawa, our nation’s capital, is ready to celebrate Canada 150

Parks Canada has a Canada 150 tree

What could be more Canadian than maple syrup?

My favourite maple syrup is the extra dark, from the last harvest of the season. It has a rich, intense flavour. It is great on toast, or all by itself when you want a hit of sugar.

Quebec supplies 70% of the world’s maple syrup.

I bought my maple syrup at the ByWard Market, one of my favourite areas in Ottawa. It has a fabulous farmers’ market and  lots of artisan shops. The side streets are filled with bars and restaurants. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Play. It is estimated that 10 million people will visit the ByWard Market this year.

Nothing says ‘Spring in Canada’ like fresh fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are furled fronds of a young fern, harvested before the frond has opened. Fiddleheads are high in iron, a source of antioxidants, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are delicious.

There are lots of exotic recipes for fiddleheads, but I prefer them boiled, then sautéed in butter with lots of salt and pepper:

• Bring water to a boil.
• Cook fiddleheads in boiling water until just barely tender, about 7 minutes.
• Drain
• Heat butter in a frying pan
• Sauté the fiddleheads in butter
• Season with salt and pepper

Enjoy a taste of Canadian spring when you eat fiddleheads

Moosehead is the best name for a Canadian beer

When I was in Spain a couple of years ago, a large department store featured products from Canada in their food section. Moosehead beer was the star of the show.

What is your favourite Canadian beer?

24 Sussex Drive

24 Sussex Drive is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada.

You can drive by 24 Sussex. You can park around the corner and walk by the house. You can even stop and take pictures, like I did.

This is the front door of 24 Sussex

No one seemed to mind that I was taking pictures through the bushes.

Are there any other countries where the official residence of the prime minister is this accessible?

The Governor General of Canada lives just across the street from the Prime Minister

The Governor General is the Queen’s representative in Canada.

Rideau Hall is the official residence of the Governor General. It is surrounded by parklands that are open to the public and free.

As soon as the term for the current Governor General, David Johnston, is complete, I will be happy to get the call to be the Queen’s representative in Canada.

The Trans Canada Trail is the world’s longest network of recreational trails

When the trail is complete, the Trans Canada Trail will stretch 24,000 kilometres from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. The Trail was scheduled to be fully connected in time for Canada 150. Maybe it will be Canada  151 or 152 before it is fully realized. In the meantime, you can enjoy the part of the Trail that passes by the official residences of the Prime Minister and the Governor General

In the spring, you are lucky if you see a trillium in bloom

I was very lucky to see hundreds of trilliums in bloom in the parklands the surround the Governor General’s residence.

The trillium is Ontario’s provincial flower. It is a protected plant in Ontario. Picking a trillium can kill the plant.

Spring has arrived when you see a trillium in bloom

Summer officially arrived a couple of weeks ago. For me, summer arrives on July 1 on Canada’s birthday.

Wherever you are in the world, raise a glass and toast Canada on July 1 for its 150th birthday!