The flag is unique in that it is the only one in the world that has a leaf on it. With a land mass of 9.9 million square kilometres it is 2nd only to Russia. Bordering on the Atlantic, Pacific and Artic Oceans, this country has 243,000 kilometers of shoreline. If a person were to walk 20 kilometres of shoreline a day, it would take that person around 33 years to complete.
Canadian flag displayed during national anthem of Canada’s national sport….hockey. Image Source
The country is called Canada, and this weekend we are celebrating 149 years of being a nation. It is a summer long weekend and people are out enjoying it with all that summer has to offer.
Picture taken by Canadian Chris Hadfield from the International Space Station. Our little church is in the Barrie/Wasaga Beach area found near the centre of the picture. Image Source
Originally called “The Dominion of Canada”, the name was based on the verse Psalm 72:8, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea. And from the river to the ends of the earth”.
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley was premier of New Brunswick at the time and 1 of the 33 Fathers of Confederation. As a Christian he thought “What a wonderful name to give Canada”. A letter by John A Macdonald to Queen Victoria was promptly approved, and he rest is history.
Inscription “He shall have dominion from sea to sea” found on the peace tower at the parliament buildings in Canada. Image Source
The Canadian government no longer regards “The Dominion of Canada” as the official name and has deliberately not used it in several decades. And on July 1, 1983 Dominion day officially was called Canada Day. Sadly our country has fallen away from the Christian foundation it was founded upon. Please remember to pray for our countries leaders in this turbulent world.
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I know every time I read a post of yours Carl that I will learn something new and today’s reading was no different. I had no idea about your country being called “The Dominion of Canada” and its government’s deliberate attempts to get away from that name. How every interesting and sad. Yes, pray for our leaders and countries, very good advice.
Loved seeing that satellite pic and where your town is located. That’s pretty cool! 🙂
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Thank you Tricia for your kind comment. A lot has changed from when I was a child, but we still do enjoy much freedom. Something people in many other countries don’t have that privilege!
Thought it was so cool as well with that photo taken from the International Space Station. Chris Hadfield, who took the photo was the 1st Canadian to walk in space and is very much a Canadian icon. 🙂
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See, I just learned another thing from you….that about Chris Hadfield being the 1st Canadian to walk in space. Neat stuff.
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Thank you Tricia, you are always such an encourager. Have an absolutely wonderful week! 🙂
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Thank you for sharing a piece of history with all of us. We must remember our planet’s existence is based on the waters connecting our continents. We must also remember this existence can only propagate itself with our willingness to accept tolerance and compassionately share in eachother’s lives.
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Thank you Jonathan for adding this. Probably my biggest challenge with this blog is trying to take a 1 hour church service with a 30 minute message and encapsulate it into a 300-400 word blog post.
You are absolutely correct. Canada is probably one of the most multi-cultural counties in the world, which is pretty cool. One in five Canadians were born abroad. So many cultures and faiths to celebrate. It is so important to show acceptance and tolerance not only within our own country, but also around the world.
Thank you for sharing. Trust you have a great week! 🙂
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