National Capital Committee put up some signage recently to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Ottawa being chosen as the capital in 1857. (Yeah, I missed the memo on that one.) The signs noted Ottawa was initially the capital of the union of Canada West (Ontario) and Canada East (Quebec), a union proposed by Lord Durham in his report of 1841.
Now the NCC has removed the signs for... purification. A pressure group called Imperitif francais does not like Lord Durham. It complained. Bam, Lord Durham has ceased to exist, at least on the NCC historical plaquing. Depressing details here.
And, to change the subject, it's Last Spike day. 122 years ago, Craigellachie, B.C.
Governor General Lansdowne wanted to drive the last spike himself, and he hung about the west for weeks that fall, hoping for the chance. But in the end he was needed in Ottawa -- mostly in case there was a last minute commutation of the death sentence on Louis Riel -- and he had to head back. So it was mostly executives of the railroad company that got to be there.
