Allow me a last word of explanation in regard to my comments on the events of
the previous century. When I said 'We' burned Washington, I wasn't referring
to Canadians per se, but to British forces, part of which were billetted in
the Dominion of Canada and contained Canadian members.
You see, unlike the States, Canada did not break away from Britain, and until
the relatively recent Constitution Act, the Dominion of Canada referred all
constitutional reform and indeed certain legal matters to the UK and the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. So we had/have a relationship with
the mother country that is similar (but certainly not identical) to the
relationship of one of your states to the US of A. (And if you don't think
that the states have pretty independent attitudes, ask any Texan.)
And to any French Canadian readers of the group that might take issue with my
charaterization of these matters, (les sale pequistes), I say - the plains of
Abraham are still there - best two out of three?
Bill S.
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