Specifically, Happy Simcoe Day! I know, I'm a little early, since Simcoe Day is always the first Monday in August, but the civic holiday is a day when I intend to be doing great things with my family, hence, the early wishes.
I was watching a bit of TV this morning while I was on the elliptical at the gym, and the news person was doing a few people-on-the-streets interviews, asking if people knew why this was a long weekend. No one to whom she spoke actually did know why. Some even guessed it was because of Caribana. That's an irie suggestion, alright, but it's still not the right one. Several others of whom she asked the question, "Do you know who John Graves Simcoe was?" were only able to answer in the negative. Either they were not listening in history class, or they have the excuse of not being from this neck of the woods.
If anyone is interested, Simcoe is worth at least a bit of attention, for two main reasons. Yes, he was a tactician who performed a military feat or two fighting against the colonies in the American Revolution, but in 1791 he was appointed the first lieutenant-governor of the newly created Province of Upper Canada (now Ontario), and it's what he did in that position that's really noteworthy.
First of all, among other duties he undertook, he began construction of two main routes through Ontario, along which all of us still make our way now and then. Work on Yonge Street was started in August 1793. Dundas Street was the other main thoroughfare that Simcoe was responsible for. He intended both routes to facilitate the movements of troops needed to defend the province from the Americans, and to help encourage trade and settlement throughout the province. Both roads have more than fulfilled his vision for them.
The accomplishment for which I accord Simcoe the most respect, however, was his work to abolish slavery in the province. He wanted the outright abolition of the horrendous inhumanity, but he was opposed on this by the provincial government because so many Loyalists (those who remained loyal to the British monarchy and had to get the hell out of America after the War of Independence) had fled to Upper Canada bringing their "possessions" with them, including their slaves. After all, how could the government ask these dear, loyal souls to deprive themselves of any more than they had already lost by continuing to support the loony King George?
That aside, Simcoe would not be swayed from his purpose, persevering in being a thorn in the side of the legislators until the Anti-Slavery Act of 1793 was passed. This act is indeed noteworthy, being the first in the mighty British Empire to limit the owning of other humans. Under the terms of this act, Simcoe actually won his point, but just a little bit more slowly than he had originally hoped. The Act declared that slaves already in the province would remain property until their death. No new slaves, however, could be brought into Upper Canada and any children born to female slaves in the province would be freed when they reached the age of 25. Surely, it was John Graves Simcoe who laid down the first tracks on the Underground Railroad.
So, whatever your colour or your country of origin, if you're in Ontario this weekend, I hope each weekend day is filled with smiles and laughter for you. I know Simcoe would approve.
1 comments:
For a very strange and winding, backroads route, you could say then that there is a connection between Caribana and John Graves Simcoe Day ... so I conducted some research into what Caribana is, and from whence it came to be.
Caribana was created in 1967 as a community heritage project for Canada's Centennial year. Why? Why would Caribbeans celebrate Canada's creation? Well, they had been brought here (or their parents had been brought here) as slaves, and they had been free of slavery since 1793 in Upper Canada, and 1803 in Lower Canada; more than half a century before slavery was abolished in the states. (THAT WAS SIMCOE’S DOING – YEAH SIMCOE!)
Why do Caribbeans celebrate Caribana? To get the answer to that one, I had to go back in time again. Carnival in the Christian world is the celebrations prior to Ash Wednesday, culminating in what is better known as Mardi Gras. In Trinidad and Tobago, slaves, and then former slaves, used this Carnival as celebrations of their own to pass on their culture, when other means of doing so was forbidden. Over time, music and song was reintroduced into the Carnival, and the Calypso Monarch was also crowned.
Carnival entered Canada in 1967, but it was not celebrated before Lent. Here it took on a different name and a different time of year, enter John Graves Simcoe. It is celebrated on this week because it corresponds to Simcoe’s Day, because of his work to abolish slavery in Canada. So although the two holidays have different histories, on this day in 1967 is where, if anywhere, they could be said to intertwine. There is even still some discrepancy here, as Caribana’s origins in Canada were as a “gift” from Canada’s West Indian community to Canada to celebrate its centennial year. Alright, so that was the first on in 1967. The reason for its continuation the next year and every year since seems to be a combination of the Caribbean roots of Carnival, the original Caribana, and John Graves Simcoe day. That’s just about the best I can get.
So Simcoe definitely came first in Canada at least. Caribana (and its precursor: Trinidad Carnival) existed long before 1967 in Canada, and long before 1793 elsewhere in the world. It is celebrated on this weekend perhaps to coincide with Simcoe’s day, as a celebration of that fact that anyone from the Caribbean was given freedom from slavery, by Simcoe’s work, back in 1793.
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