Before Canada had an Anthem, she had a song. I have a strange connection to the song. "Strange", because while the connection is circumstantial it is pervasive.

The Song is "The Maple Leaf Forever" and it was written to celebrate the birth, or confederation, of Canada in 1867 ("O'Canada" wasn't written until 1880).

The song was composed by Alexander Muir who was born in Lesmahagow, near Lanark, Scotland, 5 Apr 1830. His parents immigrated to Canada when he was three and settled in Scarborough Township, east of Toronto.

Muir was a teacher who taught in several Scarborough Schools, including Berner Trail. An amateur poet, he wrote 'The Maple Leaf For Ever' in 1867 for a contest held to celebrate the birth of the country. He not only won the contest but his song went on to become wildly popular.

But only in the English sections of Canada. Not only did the song fail to mention that half the country was French, it celebrated only the English, Scottish and Irish roots of the country. An obviously hoary Victorian artifact, it is seldom performed these days, although the tune is often played on Canada Day.

The Lyrics read in part:

In days of yore, from Britain's shore,
Wolfe, the dauntless hero came,

And planted firm Britannia's flag,
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride,
And joined in love together,
The thistle, shamrock, rose entwine

The Maple Leaf Forever

At the final hockey game played at the closing of the Maple Leaf Gardens, Canadian singer Anne Murray updated the lyrics replacing them with:

O, land of blue unending skies,
Mountains strong and sparkling snow,
A scent of freedom in the wind,
O'er the emerald fields below.

To thee we brought our hopes, our dreams,
For thee we stand together,
Our land of peace, where proudly flies,
The Maple Leaf forever.

Although pretty and more inclusive, these lyrics proved to be too similar to those of O'Canada and robbed the song of its distinctiveness. Sometimes you just can't win.

In any event, here are my strange intersections with this song. My wife Linda's grandmother was a Muir who was also born in Lanark Scotland. We haven't traced our genealogy back far enough to established a firm connection between Alexander's Muirs and Linda's, but at some point the two families from the same small community must merge.

Linda is a teacher at Berner Trail Public School where Alexander Muir also taught.

My youngest daughter chose the name Alexander for her son, not knowing the Muir connection. When little Alexander died suddenly at 5 months of age, the School planted a tree in his honour and carved his name in a large granite rock at the front of the school. It reads simply "Alexander's Tree May 2000"

The best version of the Maple Leaf Forever that I could find on YouTube is sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir--



Here for comparison, is the Anne Murray version. The flag on the screen is the Red Ensign, the flag of Ontario. Don't ask me why.

With Canada's 141st Birthday rapidly creeping up on us, here are a few interesting facts about Canada. We are large in land mass, small in population, big of heart and occasionally we do things right. Here are 12 things we got right--

1. The electron microscope (1938), the snowblower (1925), the baby food, Pablum, (1930) and the zipper (1934) were all Canadian inventions.

2. Mary Ellen Smith became the first woman Cabinet minister in the Western world when she was appointed to British Columbia's provincial cabinet in 1921. First elected in 1918, Smith served in the provincial legislature for the next 10 years

3. Basketball is a Canadian invention. Dr. James Naismith of Almonte, Ontario used a peach basket as the "net" in his first game, played in 1891.

4. Canadians are guardians of one-fourteenth of the world's land, one-tenth of the world's forest and one-fifth of the world's wilderness

5. Canadians are funny people. Comedians John Candy, Dan Ackroyd, Rick Moranis, Martin Short, Jim Carrey and Leslie Nielsen are all Canadian-born.

6. Canadian Acting Fame: Keanu Reeves, Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, Pamela Anderson Lee, Margo Kidder, Claudette Colbert, Matthew Perry, Jason Priestly and Michael J. Fox are all Canadians.

7. Canada is home to some of the hottest artists on the charts: Amanda Marshall, Alanis Morrissette, the Tragically Hip, Shania Twain, k.d. lang, Céline Dion, Sarah McLachlan, Bryan Adams and as gnostix reminded me, Leonard Cohen.

8. Canada is home to about one-quarter of the world's fresh water. Almost 75 percent of the country's electrical power is produced through hydroelectricity. Although Ontario has just announced plans to build two new nuclear reactors.

9. Two Canadian cities are ranked in the top five places in the world to live. Vancouver placed first while Toronto was rated third.

10. Japan is Canada's largest single trading partner after the United States. Sales to Japan are double Canada's sales to Latin America and more than three-quarters of the country's trade with the European Union.

11. For the last 8 years Canada has been the largest supplier of oil and Natural gass to the United States. Canadian oil represents 17 percent of U.S. imports and 11 percent of U.S. consumption.

12. The launch of Anexplorer's blog in February of 2008. At least two Canadians (Hi Gloria!) are aware of this blogs existence.

It is 6 am and still another thunderstorm is blazing its way across the sky. Sun, rain, hail, repeat - that's been the weather pattern across Toronto this spring.

The city and surrounding areas have been pummeled by brutal thunderstorms -- most recently with reports of funnel clouds in the city's east-end, just a little north of where we live.

Environment Canada already confirmed six tornadoes so far during the severe summer weather season and said that on average the region receives 11. We're expected to easily beat that average and maybe set a record.

680News' meteorologist, Jill Taylor, is talking on the radio in the next room telling me to be prepared for this. "We have to be aware of the fact that some severe thunderstorms can give as tornadoes."

Taylor reports, in that breathlessly delighted radio sing-song voice of hers, that Monday was the 11th day, out of the past 12 days, that rain fell in the GTA. She tells me the region is well above the average for rainfall in June.

Tell me something I don't know Jill.

A torrential rain caused Toronto's main river, the Don, to overflow, forcing the Bayview extension to be closed on Monday, along with part of Sheppard Avenue West.

Hail as thick as snow near Jane Street and Finch Avenue, as well as about 650 lightning strikes came with the storm.

Outside the thunder and lightning have passed on, but the rain is still falling. And rain is in the forecast for the next 5 days at least.

So how's the weather where you are?

"Do you know what your best quality is?" Linda asked one day, her hair a little tousled and a dreamy look in her eyes.

"I'm a tiger in bed?"

Linda laughed. "No, no. Be serious!"

"I look like Sean Connery?"

Linda laughed harder. "Oh stop it."

"I look a little like Brad Pitt?"

Linda's eyes were starting to water. "Please," she pleaded. "Not even in your dreams!"

"I'm honest and pure?"

"Ya right," said Linda, catching her breath and calming down a little.

"I'm hard working and industrious?"

"I asked for your best quality, not the things that drive me nuts."

"I care about my health and follow my doctor's orders? I don't make fun of your friends even when they deserve it? I never say I told you so? I take my dog for daily runs? I cut the grass without having to be asked?"

"Actually some of those are good qualities, but they're not your best. Although don't get me started on you and your doctor. And what's funny about my friends?"

"Well..."

She cut in, "You weasel, you mentioned that just to change the subject, didn't you? You're embarrassed to know you have a good quality, aren't you?"

"No I'm not embarrassed."

"Yes you are, and you're doing it again! Now stop it! Do you want to know what your best quality is?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes!" she shouted. "Your best quality is that you like people. You actually deep down really and truly like people. All kinds of people. I don't think there's anyone you've ever met that you didn't like."

Surprised, I thought about it. Surely that couldn't be true. "That can't be right," I said.

"Name one person you ever met that you didn't like?"

"Aside from your sister, you mean?"

"I don't like my sister. You pretend not to like my sister for my sake. But deep down, I think you like even her, right?"

"This doesn't sound like a good quality," I said. "This sounds more like a character flaw."

Linda hugged me. "No," she said. "Its a very good quality. You make people feel good. You make me feel good."

I enjoyed the hug for a moment.

"I'd still rather be a tiger in bed," I said.

"Rowrrrr," said Linda.

I don't know how many of you also post videos to YouTube.

It's an interesting way to share events with friends and family. Mine are mostly about my community or feature a certain waggy tailed black and white dog. So of limited general interest. Outside the 'stream mine have only been viewed by one or two other sad souls who wandered in unaware. Usually my videos only get seen by about 20-30 people.

Although when one memorable video got over 100 hits, delusions of grandeur sored through my brain!

Until I realized what a far cry that is from the popular YouTube videos that get viewed by tens of thousands, and in some cases by millions.

Happily that level of popularity has never been my ambition and a lot of those popular videos seem to be of teenage girls making off the top of their head observations about life.

Still there are also some brilliant videos out there produced by some very talented people (Mouse, Misty, Major Danes and Souls Denounce come to mind) and this year the major YouTube Gathering is being held right here in Toronto at the Toronto Science Centre.

If anyone is posting to YouTube and planning to attend on the 8th of the 8th 08, you can find out more about it HEREand even get free tickets.

Linda and I are planning to go and I'm trying to persuade my brother and his wife to come as well.