Give Sir John A. his street
National Post Published: Monday, May 10, 2010
Re: Full Pundit, Chris Selley, May 6.
History is not a science so we cannot measure which historical things or traditions are sacrosanct and which ones cry out for adjustment. Yet it seems perfectly reasonable to agree with Andrew Cohen's assessment that we should rename Wellington Street in Ottawa to reflect, instead, our first leader, Sir John A. Macdonald.
Canada may have historical antecedents before Sir John A. Macdonald but that is hardly the point. As an example, we created the Leaders & Legacies series of books on Canada's prime ministers to help anchor the idea of leadership and identity through a Canadian prism for kids, not a British or French one.
There is ample evidence of our British background without undue worry about asserting our Canadian identity through our country's greatest founder.
Our country lacks national cohesion. Even with our regional self-absorptions, surely we can agree that having our nation's capital's key artery named after our first leader is not something to take to the streets about.
Perhaps Macdonald himself said it best: "It is no vain boast for me to say so, for even my enemies will admit that (no one) has given more of his time, more of his heart, more of his wealth, or more of his intellect and power, such as they may be, for the good of this Dominion of Canada."
Come on, people--give him the street already.
Roderick Benns, owner, Fireside Publishing House, Whitby, Ont.
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=3007446