A walk in memory of my Queen

by Bogumil Pacak-Gamalski

There is very few Canadians, who remember in their lifetime, any other Canadian Queen. Our monarch and constitutional Head of State. Elizabeth II – the only monarch I had, having been born and raised in a country that was a republic. At that time no less than a communist republic. That was also long ago.

There is millions of Canadians now, who have no special connection to the monarchy. They or their parents came here long after the 2nd world war. The last time Canadian soldiers actually fought for king and believed they did so not for Canada alone, but for the king, too. It was important for them, had an actual meaning. Canada in 1939 was actually still a Dominion, not even a fully sovereign country.

However, when I took an oath to become a citizen of Canada – I took an oath of a sovereign Canadian State and I pledged my loyalty not as a Dominion subject to a British Monarch. No, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau must have been aware that I would not have like it.

I landed in Canada in frosty evening on February 1982. A month later, in March, Pierre Trudeau passed a Bill in our Parliament establishing a full repatriation of our Constitution from London and full sovereignty of Canada. Elizabeth II proclaimed this sovereignty in April of that year. That meant a lot to me. I do take oaths and pledges seriously. I wanted to live in Canada, not in a dominion of another country. And if Canada was a constitutional monarchy, I wanted to have a Canadian monarch. That our monarch, for undeniable and absolutely valid historical reasons, is also a British monarch and resides permanently in London (the one in Britain, not in Ontario) doesn’t bother me. I’m satisfied that the monarch’s General and Lieutenants Governors do represent the monarch well and are willing to constitutionally stop elected politicians from forming autocratic or tyrannical power. And every Canadian prime minister and provincial premier is well aware of it. Therefore the appointment of every Governor should never be treated as political patronage and ‘pay out’ for old political parties hacks, as was the most cases in our recorded history (in Dominion and in independent Canada). It takes away from the dignity of that position, therefore takes away from dignity of the Sovereign. Last appointments broke from that ugly tradition and three of them seemed very excellent: Michaëlle Jean in 2005, David Johnston in 2010 and current, Mary Simon in 2021.

I have never personally seen Elizabeth II during Her visits to Canada. To think of that, I have never seen here any other Royal Family member. Being hardly a person to line up streets and wave little paper flags is not my style. Not that there is anything wrong with that – but I have a particular aversion to it from childhood and very early adulthood during communist times, where it was often required. I preferred watching Elizabeth on TV, reading articles about Her visits. But I did see Her, Diana and Charles (our current Monarch) and beloved Queen Mother in London, England. Lived there for almost a year in 1981, walked by Kensington Palace almost daily and, of course, ventured few times to the gates of Buckingham Palace. Did not know than that She would become my Queen. Martial Law in Poland in December 1981 and a communist police looking for me at my parents flat near Warsaw changed everything. Few months later I was in Canada.

I can’t say for sure when and how I become a strong proponent of constitutional monarchy. I was always astute and serious observer and participant of political life. Never missed a single provincial or federal election (did miss few municipal ones). Never been a member of any political party but have very strong political views. Voted for all main political parties according to their platform: for old Progressive Conservatives (not a single time for new Conservative Party and doesn’t look that I ever will, as I detest and don’t trust any populists parties); for Liberal Party and for New Democrats and never regretted my vote. That political astuteness with passing years clarified my views on the institution of monarchy. I looked also to other – mostly European – monarchies. It all lead me to strong opinion that constitutional, modern monarchy offers the best protection for democratic (or, using old British term: responsible government) institutions, works strongly to deter overgrown ambitions of elected politicians to become tyrants and autocrats. Our, Canadian Monarchy offers the same to us. And that should be at the heart of our, Canadian, consciousness. Our country, for better or for worse, is a result of British colonization and that forms obvious and historically correct tradition, even if no longer as obvious present reality. Apart from French/Acadian/Quebec failed attempt at New France (and we do recognize their distinctiveness), Canada that exist is a result of British tradition. And traditions (including also not the best ones) are part of a soul of any country.

This is my tribute to our late Sovereign, Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. She did serve us good. With grace and reverence we, as a country, deserve. The Crown served us good. Britain not always, but the Crown did.

Generally speaking, the British Canada started here, in Halifax, in Nova Scotia. I know, there is hardly a city in Canada that looks more and screams “England!” louder than beautiful Victoria (yes, named so in honour of Elizabeth II great-grandmother, Queen Victoria) on Vancouver Island. Love that city and had countless visits there. But as far as true historical political roots of British Canada is concern, it is here – on the shores of Atlantic, not Pacific. In Halifax.

Today, the same day as ceremonies in Westminster Abbey, a special service will take place in Anglican Cathedral Of All Saints – an enormous neo-gothic structure, next to monument of Scottish national poet Robert Burns. On Saturday I took my walks through the old Halifax. The one that remembers times of beginning of Canada and times prior to Confederation. In the four years since I have moved here, Halifax has changed, too. Specially old, waterfront Halifax. Become (except for very narrow streets…) more modern, with new tall buildings. To the detriment of the old patrician city. It is harder and harder to see the waterfront even from Citadel Hill. I tried, though. I tried to walk the streets that look the way they looked, when Elizabeth become monarch, when her great- grandmother Victoria reigned, from where her great-great-grandfather, George III (the third longest reigning British king) sent his general John Burgoyne to the fields of Saratoga, where he lost America. Here, in local old cemetery lay soldiers , who where shipped from Halifax to the Crimea War in 1854 to the bloody Battle of Sebastopol (today called Sevastopol) to fight Russian occupation of Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria (a déjà vu of current Russian war on Ukraine?). I visited the old Government House (that’s how the seat of British governor where called at that time), an official residence of Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor, and signed the Book of Condolences for our Queen. That was my private, personal homage to Elizabeth II. My Queen. Queen of Canada.