Making Up for Apathy

In the British House of Commons, just before it filled up one day in 1867 for a lively debate on a bill to tax dog owners, a bare quorum bothered to vote on the legislation that created a confederation out of three Canadian colonies. Canadians made no special fuss over the event. Now they are making up for their initial apathy. All year long they have been celebrating their centennial.

Strength in Union. For most of them, the high spot was last week's royal visit from Elizabeth of England, who is also, by virtue of the country's Commonwealth status, Queen of Canada. Accompanied by Prince Philip, Elizabeth was given a thunderous reception in the English-speaking capital of Ottawa. The Queen reciprocated by telling the Canadian Parliament that the growing strength of its union "has given increasing power and authority to Canada's voice in world affairs."

Less exuberant over the Queen's visit were the 6,000,000 French-speaking Canadians, some of whom want to break off the ties to Britain and advocate formation of an independent republic. Diplomatically, Elizabeth and Philip did not set foot in Quebec during their six-day visit. Rather than travel through largely French-speaking Montreal, their plans called for them to reach the Expo 67 islands by sailing down the St. Lawrence River in their royal yacht.

Whatever its divisions in this centennial year, Canada seems to be reaching out for a fresh vision of itself, a new identity. Canada's strength, the Queen said, "derives from national unity, and it can only be sustained and flourish if that national unity prospers."

Bathtub Race. Proud as they are of Expo's success, Canadians have taxed their imaginations to make sure that their centennial will be remembered for more than the fair alone. Oil Rigger Clint Shaw, 25, is demonstrating his patriotism by roller-skating 4,000 miles eastward from Victoria to Newfound land. Teams of Canadians dressed in the garb of the early fur traders are paddling from Alberta to Expo in a 3,300-mile canoe race. Later this month, 200 Canadians will race across the Georgia Strait near Vancouver in seagoing bathtubs fitted with outboard motors.

The centennial has also capped a Canadian culture boom; new museums, libraries and planetariums are going up in such outposts as Salmon Arm, British Columbia, and Hay River in the Northwest Territories. A Confederation Train loaded with exhibits of Canadiana has drawn S.R.O. crowds at every whistlestop. Recently, a chorus of touring Eskimos gave their rendition of 18th century German chorales. Everywhere Canadians seem bent on shattering what Prime Minister Lester Pearson recently described as "the Anglo-Saxon crust, the old grey Canadian tradition."

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