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OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, July 2, 2009 · 6 The Oakville Beaver NEIL OLIVER Vice-president and Group Publisher, Metroland West DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Commentary 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council.The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206,Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Letter to the editor SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com Don't forget Canada Prior to Canada Day, I asked five of my six grandchildren, ages eight to 14, if they could name the 10 provinces, three territories and their capitals. I was absolutely stunned they could not provide the answers. They knew very little about this country and how it came to be. I think our forefathers, First Nations, early settlers and all those who immigrated to this land and built this great country must be turning over in their graves. Their 142 years of achievements, along with their sacrifices, have been dishonored. The government and educational systems throughout the country should be ashamed that our history and heritage is not taught to each and every student and supported with their parents. There are countless events that have happened in Canada that have changed the world. Unfortunately we do not celebrate or teach our historical achievements. We have allowed others to write us out of the historical events especially the First and Second World Wars. The majority of citizens have no idea what this country has accomplished before and after 1867. Whatever happened to learning Canadian geography and Canadian history? Without this knowledge of our heritage, Canada Day is becoming an empty celebration. Recently the Minster of Heritage cancelled the celebration of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham between the British and the French. The entire country should have celebrated this battle, not for which side won, but the sacrifices these early settlers made on both sides fighting for a vision and a new country. When the battle was completed, the British asked the French to stay in this new land and help build Canada. I believe this is the moment our country headed down the path of being a diverse country and not a melting pot like the U.S. If the educational system is not teaching our children then the parents and grandparents need to take a more active role in unfolding our magnificent history to our future leaders of our country. Next time you head out on a vacation, stop at a historical site and allow yourself and your children to learn about our country. Take the test, ask your child or grandchild if they can name the provinces, territories and capitals. You may be stunned at the answers you obtain. Celebrate Canada and learn about this magnificent country, then you will know what our identity truly is. EARL FLETCHER RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER CULTURAL FARE: Kerr Village hosted the Carousel of Nations Multicultural Festival Saturday.The free, family event featured live musical performances, art displays, a kids' zone, artists' village and international cuisine. Here, Wolf von Brisinski of The Sanctuary cuts into a huge Canada Day cake to serve it up to festival goers. Why he's singing: O Canada, we stand on God for thee O ne month, two proud parents, three kids, three divergent paths travelled, three graduations: our eldest son from university, our second son from high school, and our daughter from elementary school. This past June we had ample occasion to assemble with fellow proud parents in assorted gymnasiums and hear inspiring commencement addresses, and to applaud our offspring and the offspring of others as they got primped up (and pumped up), donned graduation gowns, pressed palms with school officials, were awarded diplomas and took their first tentative steps into a brand new future. At those ceremonies, I also had ample occasion to wonder where the time has gone -- how a guy who (seemingly) just left the hallowed halls of high school a few (hundred) years back suddenly has three grads of his own? I tell you, if I'd been giving the commencement speeches, I'd have been inclined to advise the kids to embrace each moment of every day because every moment is indeed precious, and time does indeed fly. Time also distorts. At each graduation, as they played our national anthem, I beat myself up a bit as I tried to remember what was once so clear in my mind: that is, which of our offspring had onetime so magnificently mangled the lyrics of that anthem -- unwittingly changing the words from standing on guard for thee to, well, standing on God for thee. I think it was our youngest -- the crowned queen of malapropisms ("Daddy, will you make me some strangled eggs?") -- but it bothers me that I can't recall for certain. Andy Juniper Total recall aside, what in life is certain? As we sail into summer, we have three kids living under our roof who are all looking forward to the future, albeit with a tinge of trepidation. With an honours degree (psychology/communications) under his belt, our oldest is now entering what his parents have forever (forebodingly) called "the real world." In all honesty, I'm not sure what makes this new world any more "real" than the one he's leaving behind -- is having to earn a pay cheque and pay bills really that real, and was cranking out untold erudite words on old Ziggy Freud all that unreal? But I do know he's in for change. Whole different lifestyle, whole different routine, all new challenges, all new rewards. Meanwhile, after taking the long and winding (and potholed) road through high school, our second son finds himself a few months away from heading off to university to study politics and change the world, one so-called narrow-minded conservative at a time. Our second son and high school did not get along; for five years he was at odds with the institution. While he never failed to win over teachers with his intelligence and untapped potential, he was forever frustrating them with apathy and occasional attitude. In the end, he hunkered down and earned an opportunity to truly tap his potential. Finally, the girl who once asked me to make her "strangled eggs," took her first steps into the future on sassy silver heels. And when she walked up onto the stage on those sassy silver heels to receive her diploma, I couldn't help but think that she looked fantastic: 13 going on 19. And for the record, those were not tears in my eyes. It's just that from my vantage point, her future looked so bright I had to put on my shades. Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com.