 I’m holding Dad’s medal. It’s heavy! |
I’m back from a 2-1/2-day trip to Ottawa to celebrate my Dad’s becoming a Companion of the Order of Canada, which is the highest honour our country can bestow on a citizen. Pretty big deal, so he wanted to invite all his kids to share the day with him. Alas, even after pleading, the Governor General’s protocol people only allowed three extra guests (other than Tara), so the list was pared down to me, Severn and Sarika. Oh yeah, did I mention that this was pretty exciting for me since it would be the first time that I’d spend a night away from Jon since he was born!
I flew into Ottawa mid-morning Thursday. After check-in at the Lord Elgin I had lots of time to kill before the other four got into town, so I spent the day at the War Museum and the Museum of Civilization. The War Museum was interesting; it was ultimately an unrelentingly sober experience (though not as depressing as I thought it’d be). The Museum of Civilization is a spectacular building, and currently has a great exhibition of artifacts from the ancient city of Petra. I spent so long on the Petra show that I had to rush through the regular exhibits, so I don’t really have an opinion on the museum’s content. If I ever get there again it’ll have to be for the whole afternoon.
After the gang checked in we headed off to the Chateau Laurier for dinner and had a blast.
Me, Sari, Tara, Dad and Severn
Friday morning the three of us headed out to Rideau Hall for the investiture (Dad and Tara went with the other honourees—by charter bus!). I think the taxi driver was more excited than us, since he had never driven there before. I got to impressively flash my invitation to the guardhouse to get waved on to the house. Neat!
The ceremony was a bit like graduation—repetitive and somewhat boring except for the one minute that “your” honouree was up. Since Dad was last (being the highest decoration, and the only Companion), we felt it incumbent upon us kids to yell “Wooo!” during the applause. I think people were amused. What were they gonna do, kick us out?
After the ceremony we hobnobbed with the swells, and I shook hands with the amazingly poised and lovely Governor General Michaà«lle Jean. A consummate people person, she has that uncanny ability to talk to anyone as if that person were the most important and interesting person in the world to talk to.
Golfer Lori Kane with the Governor General
Dad and Michaà«lle Jean with Bill Marshall (a former psych professor of mine!) looking on
After drinks and nibblies we toured Rideau Hall and were suitably impressed with the multitude of Canadian artwork hanging everywhere, and the huge greenhouse where they grow all the indoor plants that grace all the official residences:
All of us in greenhouse. By now all our feet are killing us!
That evening the honourees and their spouses went to a swanky dinner at the GG’s; the rest of us were left to our own devices. I met up with Corinne, a friend from college I haven’t seen in eight years:
On Saturday we had some time to kill until we had to get to the airport, so Tara, Sarika and I took a tour of the Parliament building (something I haven’t done in years and Sari has never done.) The library had just been unveiled after four years of restoration, and it’s as lovely as ever (I think by far the most beautiful part of the building).
Parliamentary library, inside and out
In the middle of our tour we got an interesting bonus: The PM and some aides were going up to their offices just as we were in the main hall. Since it was a tiny tour group (just us three, two more guests and the guide), and the hall was otherwise empty, Stephen Harper decided to be chummy and did the photo-op thing, shaking our hands and asking our names and where we were from.
We were nice polite Canadians and just said our (first) names and cities and smiled for the cameras, instead of saying much ruder, but more appropriate words. It’s actually pretty amazing how little charm (as in zero) Harper has in person (unlike most politicians I’ve met, or charm incarnate Ms. Jean), and how stiff this impromptu meeting was. (Mind you, it would’ve been even more amusing to speculate how the meeting would’ve gone if Mr. Environment C.C. himself had been there…) 🙂
At the Ottawa airport by noon, I have to slug back my bottle of water before I’m let through gate security. Oh brother.
All in all, good times had by everyone. Congratulations and thank you Dad!
Wowee! What an amazing weekend! Congrats to your dad, and to you for venturing off on your own after all these years. Your dedication to Jon has me absolutely floored in awe of you. Seriously. You deserve all that and a whole lot more!
I can’t believe you said nothing to Mr. Harper. I bow to your discretion.
Laura, you are officially my hero!
😉
Awesome! Congrats to David (great name, ain’t it?).
I guess this makes Jon a grand-Companion-of-the Order-of-Canada-recipient.
Get it? He’s the good Doctor’s grand-son? Meh, it was funnier in my head.
And you should definitely get back to see the rest of the Museum of Civilization. I spent an entire Saturday afternoon there one day and I couldn’t get enough.
Congratulations to your Dad and your whole famly on the honour he has justly received.
Your visit to the Library of Parliament reminds me of the pleasurable hours I spent their in 1980 in the service of the Director General of the National Arts Centre. I was a Waterloo Co-op student hired to help the NAC prepare for a Royal Commission on the arts ultimately co-chaired by my late mentor, composer Louis Applebaum.
Of all the people you met in Ottawa, Stephen Harper is one who bears the greatest responsibility of all. It is a responsibility that he takes to bed at night, and wakes with every morning.
Nobody is born Prime Minister and there are no schools to teach you how to be one. Stephen Harper, like the men and woman who went before him, has to learn on the job. He would be the first to admit that he’s not perfect. But he’s a young man who learns quickly and is trying hard.
I think many Canadians are pleasantly surprised by how well he’s done so far, in very little time, and with a minority government.
He will get better yet and surprise many more doubters.
Thanks for your good wishes Myles.
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