HULL, QUEBEC OR GATINEAU, CANADA

In a crowded Parisian café, a tourist is sitting alone, enjoying a crème caramel. Another tourist approaches (let's forget for a moment that neither of them speak Englisch very well. To write what they actually said would create reading problems).

Can I sit down here? No problem...Thank you, very kind of you. Are you on vacation? Yes, I arrived yesterday...What country are you from? Norway. I don't know exactly where that is. I'm from Quebec.

Québec? I don't know Québec...

Québec... near the Atlantic, next to Ontario, the Great Lakes...

No, I don't know these places.

Never mind then, I'm from Canada...

Ah Canada, Canada I know. So why did you tell me you come from Québec?

Because, my first country is Québec! Oh, you were born in Québec and emigrated to Canada? No, no, I was born in Québec and I stayed in Québec...Oh, then your father is from Canada? No, no, my father, my mother, my wife, my dog, everybody, they come from Québec....So why did you say Canada? For Christ sake, because you said you don't know where Québec is. OK, but if you said you don't know Norway, I did not say that my country is Japan...

Tabarnaque Canada isn't Japan. Canada, it's my country. Oh, your country is not Québec anymore?...My country is Québec. But my country, it can be Canada too, if the person I speak to does not know where Québec is. Tabernaque

I do not understand...Look, it's simple: I come from the Province of Québec, in the country of Canada.
Ok! But I did not ask you what province you're from, I asked you what country. I come from Lofoten in Norway, but I answered Norway when you asked me what country I come from...I know, I'm not stupid, Câlisse. But me, when they ask me what country I come from, I answer Québec. Even if it's the name of my province. For me, it's my country.

Oh, now I understand. You are a separatist, you want your Quebec province to be your country...
Are you crazy? I don't want anything to do with that crap.
Now I don't understand anything anymore.

I tell you before, it's simple. You ask me what country I come from, I answer Québec because Québec is my country, but I don't really want it to be my country, it would be too much trouble. I just want to say it. So, why don't you just let me say it?

I'm all mixed up. You have a passport from what country: Québec or Canada?
CANADA.

So why did you not tell me Canada right away?
Because it don't feel right. For me, Canada is Anne Murray, the Calgary Stampede, the Mounted Police, SARS... it's not my home all that. Home, it's La Famille Plouffe, Séraphin Poudrier, La P'tite Vie, Félix Leclerc, La Poune, Les Canadiens de Montréal, Les Bougons... Do you understand???
Less and less...

Listen, forget all that shit. Ask me another question.
Ok, what town do you come from?
Mmm..., I don't know anymore...
You not know what town you come from? Yes, yes, I know what town I come from, but my town was merged with another town, but soon it is going to demerge from the town that was supposed to be my town...

Oh, that's very complicated! When you write your address, what do you write?

I don't know anymore. Before, I used to write Hull, but Hull changed to Gatineau, but they tell us to wait 3 years before stopping to write Hull to not mix up the mailman. But now, the Liberals they passed a law that makes it OK for Gatineau to be Hull again, but I don't know if we have to wait 3 years more to be able to write Hull, or when the 3 years are passed, if we have to write Gatineau for 3 years, and after we write Hull. Unless, of course, the PQ come back in power and we remerge with Gatineau, then we'll have to write Gatineau for 3 years.

I have to leave now; I have a headache...
It's so simple, Tabernaque! My town is Hull, my country is Québec. But if you prefer, my town is Gatineau and my country is Canada.
OK, I think I understand. It's about time. Anyway, it was fun talking to you, if you come around where I live; maybe you come and see me...
OK, but where?
Hull in Québec or Gatineau in Canada?

You're a pain in the butt. Forget the whole thing and have a good day.

Museums Marathon in Ottawa

None of Ottawa’s Museums charges admission fees on Canada Day.





I used the opportunity to visit some of them:





- Museum for Agriculture
- Civilization Museum
- National Gallery



I had always admired the historic buildings of the huge “Farm”, located close to downtown Ottawa, including the beautiful surrounding gardens.
But inside the agriculture buildings was the same pitiful treatment of farm animals that I dislike so much when visiting commercial farms. The cows are chained tightly (two feet chains) in order to prevent movements. For me it is a shame how animals are kept that are feeding us! No thanks, I could not take this sight and left very quickly.

The next museum visit was a more enjoyable. At the CIVILIZATION MUSEUM I bumped into a Citizenship Ceremony and face to face with Minister Jason Kenney who helped to cut the Canada Day Cake for new Canadians and visitors (see images). He was accompanied by the judge who took the oaths, a military member, a First Nation elder and the inevitable “Mounty” who was busy at popular photo ops, especially with south Asian visitors.

My favoured permanent exhibitions at this museum are:
Canada Hall
It displays a remarkable journey through one thousand years of Canada's social history, from east to west.
First Peoples Hall
It highlights the cultural, historical and artistic achievements of Canada's First Peoples.
Native Hall
Six Native houses, connected by a Pacific coast shoreline and boardwalk, portray the rich cultural history of the western First Peoples.
But there is more to see: the Post Museum, Children’s Museum, the Imax Cinema and a variety of changing exhibitions.

Then I paid a visit to the NATIONAL GALLERY with its outstanding architecture by Moshe Safdie and the famous “Spider” artwork on the surrounding plaza. Some of the paintings of the “Group of Seven”, including Emily Carr, Canada’s most famous artists that are not shown in the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, ON, are displayed here.

Although its focus is on Canadian art including Inuit and First Nation artifacts, it displays works by many noted European artists, such as Rubens, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso and Rembrandt. It has a strong contemporary art collection with some of Andy Warhol's most famous works.

What I missed, but will visit next time when I am in Ottawa:
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The AVIATION MUSEUM is among the best places to celebrate Canada Day, to see the exhibitions and pick nick at the grounds. From there it is also a short hop to the Rockcliffe Flying Club who offers a Canada Day Breakfast and sightseeing flights in a Waco UPF-7, an open cockpit biplane from 1939.
There is also a Beaver float plane flight offer to enjoy an amazing bird’s-eye view of the National Capital.

Ottawa is always worth a visit, not only on Canada Day.