You the man, John A.

Canadian history is totally boss

Quote Post
My dear little Friend,” John A. wrote back, “… I think it was mean of that young fellow not to answer your letter. You see, I have been longer in the world than he, and know more than he does what is due to young ladies. I send you a dollar note with which pray buy some small keepsake to remember me by.
— One of my favourite tidbits from the sheer mass of correspondence that John A left behind. Here he is writing back to a young girl who had sent him a letter, in 1891. The young girl lamented to John A that she had also written to a young boy, but that he had not returned her letter. The ‘keepsake to remember me by’ bit is very typical of Macdonald, who was very sensitive of the issue of not being remembered. At 76 years old, John A would pass away that year - but not before running for re-election one last time, and winning. LIKE A BOSS.
Posted in john a macdonald
Photo Post
This photograph is credited by many with singlehandedly costing Bob Stanfield the Canadian Federal election of 1974. The photographer, Doug Ball, took 36 shots of Stanfield catching the ball, and one of him fumbling. The next day the papers ran this photo, and none of the other ones. More than a decade later, Ball would apologize to Stanfield for costing him the election. Stanfield wasn’t bitter though, and autographed a print for Ball, writing “I should’ve taken off my tie”.

This photograph is credited by many with singlehandedly costing Bob Stanfield the Canadian Federal election of 1974. The photographer, Doug Ball, took 36 shots of Stanfield catching the ball, and one of him fumbling.

The next day the papers ran this photo, and none of the other ones. More than a decade later, Ball would apologize to Stanfield for costing him the election. Stanfield wasn’t bitter though, and autographed a print for Ball, writing “I should’ve taken off my tie”.

Posted in robert stanfield
Photo Post
Trudeau, Turner, Chretien and Pearson. One of my favourite photographs ever! What a bunch of dudes. View high resolution

Trudeau, Turner, Chretien and Pearson. One of my favourite photographs ever! What a bunch of dudes.

Posted in lester pearson jean chretien pierre elliot trudeau
Quote Post
The place of Sir John A. Macdonald in this country was so large and so absorbing that it is almost impossible to conceive that the politics of this country — the fate of this country — will continue without him. His loss overwhelms us. For my part, I say, with all truth, his loss overwhelms me, and that it also overwhelms this Parliament, as if indeed one of the institutions of the land had given way. Sir John A. Macdonald now belongs to the ages, and it can be said with certainty that the career which has just been closed is one of the most remarkable careers of this century … As to his statesmanship, it is written in the history of Canada. It may be said without any exaggeration whatever, that the life of Sir John Macdonald, from the time he entered Parliament, is the history of Canada.
— Sir Wilfred Laurier’s eulogy for John A Macdonald. I’m not a huge fan of Laurier - I’ve got nothing against him, he just doesn’t interest me the way Macdonald does. One thing Laurier had that Macdonald didn’t though was a command of language  - John A had terrific charisma, but his speeches weren’t amazing the way Laurier’s were. This eulogy speech is my favourite out of all of them, and one of my favourite Canadian speeches. It really is terrifically beautiful.
Posted in wilfred laurier john a macdonald
Quote Post
To be Prime Minister of Canada, you need the hide of a rhinoceros, the morals of St. Francis, the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the leadership of Napoleon, the magnetism of a Beatle and the subtlety of Machiavelli.
— Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson sets the bar pretty high. (1964)
Posted in lester pearson
Photo Post
Mackenzie King, you were kind of crazy! “But Haley,” you might say,”everybody believed in seances back then!” And this is a very valid point. But did everybody use seances to ask foreign policy advice of their dead dogs? Probably only Mackenzie King, I’ll hazard that guess. My favourite line of this whole article is: “Upstairs, in Mr. King’s third story study, which is the heart of Canada’s government” because it is SO SCARY!! thanks to Graeme, for finding this for me! View high resolution

Mackenzie King, you were kind of crazy!

“But Haley,” you might say,”everybody believed in seances back then!” And this is a very valid point. But did everybody use seances to ask foreign policy advice of their dead dogs? Probably only Mackenzie King, I’ll hazard that guess.

My favourite line of this whole article is:

“Upstairs, in Mr. King’s third story study, which is the heart of Canada’s government”

because it is SO SCARY!!

thanks to Graeme, for finding this for me!

Posted in mackenzie king
Photo Post
During his last election campaign in 1890, admirers took to greeting him with cries of “You’ll never die, John A.!” John A Macdonald was the most boss Canadian Prime Minister ever, and this blog is dedicated to the antics of him and his fellow Canadian PM’s and public servants throughout history. lots of politicians are crazy, but none do it quite like our guys.

During his last election campaign in 1890, admirers took to greeting him with cries of “You’ll never die, John A.!”

John A Macdonald was the most boss Canadian Prime Minister ever, and this blog is dedicated to the antics of him and his fellow Canadian PM’s and public servants throughout history.

lots of politicians are crazy, but none do it quite like our guys.

Posted in john a macdonald
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