Today, of course, presents us with a trifecta of political history anniversaries to mark.
First off, birthdays of our Prime Ministers take precedence over any and all other dates on the yearly political history calendar. So, we begin today by recognizing that December 17 is the birthday of William Lyon Mackenzie King, one of the greatest of Canada’s Prime Ministers.
Mr. King served in Canada’s top political job for almost 22 years, a feat of political longevity that likely will never be topped. His private diaries, now preserved on-line are indeed the political history gift that keeps on giving. I highly recommend that readers delve inside this remarkable document that illuminates decades of Canada’s history.
As for me, I’ve been tinkering with a book about Mr. King’s work as a reporter as a young man for some years now. Stay tuned!
But I digress.
Today, as well, is the anniversary of the most divisive federal election ever held. It took place in 1917, at the height of the First World War, and pitted Sir Robert Borden’s Union government, against Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s Liberals.
French and English were split on the issue of conscription and Canada’s unity was perhaps never more threatened than it was that terrible year. The campaign was brutal and hard and held as a cold winter dawned - a winter where countless Canadians continued to serve in the bloodbath that was the First World War.
Laurier stood against conscription and paid the price for his principled stand in English Canada. As only one example the London Free Press thundered, "Every vote cast for a Laurier candidate is a vote cast for the German Kaiser."
To think that, after all his service to Canada, Laurier’s very patriotism was questioned is hard to come to terms with today. However, as my friend Bob Rae has eloquently pointed out to me, this campaign ending up allowing Laurier to perform one of the greatest services to Canada he ever did.
Despite the abuse he suffered, Laurier’s belief in Canada did not falter. And by bravely fighting for his young nation, even though he knew he would lose politically, he helped keep his country as one in the end. It would have been easy for Laurier to have returned to Quebec and campaigned against Canada.
He refused that easy route and took the hard one instead, therefore allowing this nation to live another day in the minds and hearts of French Canadians.
And, it is hard to question the patriotism and loyalty of Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden that year as well. Once he experienced, while visiting England during the war, the military hospitals where the wounded and maimed who has proudly sailed from Canada before, he resolved to stand with them always. Borden therefore believed conscription would mean that Canada kept faith with her wounded and dead.
It was total war and Borden concluded it had to end by any means at his disposal, including conscription.
No surprise, but Borden won. But again, credit is due to Laurier for taking a bullet for Canada, helping to ensure our nation stayed together and lived to fight another day.
Finally, today also is the day in 1991 that Canada’s last living Father of Confederation, the legendary Joey Smallwood of Newfoundland, passed into history. He had spearheaded the efforts to bring his province into Confederation and Canadians remain in his debt today.
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also proudly served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.
Today, as well, is the anniversary of the most divisive federal election ever held. It took place in 1917, at the height of the First World War, and pitted Sir Robert Borden’s Union government, against Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s Liberals.
French and English were split on the issue of conscription and Canada’s unity was perhaps never more threatened than it was that terrible year. The campaign was brutal and hard and held as a cold winter dawned - a winter where countless Canadians continued to serve in the bloodbath that was the First World War.
Laurier stood against conscription and paid the price for his principled stand in English Canada. As only one example the London Free Press thundered, "Every vote cast for a Laurier candidate is a vote cast for the German Kaiser."
To think that, after all his service to Canada, Laurier’s very patriotism was questioned is hard to come to terms with today. However, as my friend Bob Rae has eloquently pointed out to me, this campaign ending up allowing Laurier to perform one of the greatest services to Canada he ever did.
Despite the abuse he suffered, Laurier’s belief in Canada did not falter. And by bravely fighting for his young nation, even though he knew he would lose politically, he helped keep his country as one in the end. It would have been easy for Laurier to have returned to Quebec and campaigned against Canada.
He refused that easy route and took the hard one instead, therefore allowing this nation to live another day in the minds and hearts of French Canadians.
And, it is hard to question the patriotism and loyalty of Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden that year as well. Once he experienced, while visiting England during the war, the military hospitals where the wounded and maimed who has proudly sailed from Canada before, he resolved to stand with them always. Borden therefore believed conscription would mean that Canada kept faith with her wounded and dead.
It was total war and Borden concluded it had to end by any means at his disposal, including conscription.
No surprise, but Borden won. But again, credit is due to Laurier for taking a bullet for Canada, helping to ensure our nation stayed together and lived to fight another day.
Finally, today also is the day in 1991 that Canada’s last living Father of Confederation, the legendary Joey Smallwood of Newfoundland, passed into history. He had spearheaded the efforts to bring his province into Confederation and Canadians remain in his debt today.
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also proudly served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel. Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.