Canada’s First World War Prime Minister, the great Sir Robert Borden, returned home to Ottawa on this date in 1936 after a trip to England, Scotland and France. Mostly famously, Borden attended the unveiling of the commanding Canadian monument at Vimy Ride dedicated earlier that summer by King Edward VIII.
Before describing his homecoming, Borden took time to recall some of the social aspects of his trip. He was, of course, a great patron of the arts during his lifetime and particularly enjoyed attending the theatre.
“Upon my return to London, I attended a number of theatrical performances, many of which were excellent,” he wrote. “I recall especially, Pride and Prejudice, at St James's Theatre, Anthony and Anna, at the Whitehall, Whiteoaks at the Playhouse, Lilac Time, at the Coliseum, Spring Tide at the Duchess, The Russian Ballet at Covent Garden, Miss Smith at the Duke of York's Theatre, As You Like It, at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, The Two Bouquets, at the Ambassador's and Heroes Don't Care, at St Martin's.”
“We docked at Quebec about noon on August 27; and there was much confusion as to luggage,” he recalled. “Having left Southampton on Saturday, August 22, at 1 pm. I reached my home at 10.45 on the following Thursday (August 27). It would have been a most joyous homecoming, except for my sadness on discovering that my wife had been ill for about four weeks. I found her in great distress, as she was physically unable to meet me at the station. However, during my absence, she had carried out great improvements in the renovation of my office and on the grounds. I am most happy to be once more in my own home.”
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.