The recent publication of Jenni Calder’s Scots in Canada demonstrated Scotland’s historical links with Canada, but also put into context close and current connections with Canada.

Canada has sometimes been regarded as almost an extension of Scotland. And it’s not hard to see why when you realise just how many Scottish place names and family names are to be found throughout Canada; and how many towns, rivers and mountains have been named in honour of Scottish explorers, traders and adventurers – from Mackenzie Bay and Calgary to Nova Scotia (New Scotland) itself. Entrepreneurs like Donald Alexander Smith from Forres, the driving force behind The Canadian Pacific Railway, linking Montreal with Vancouver, the Atlantic with the Pacific helped make modern Canada.

The enormous contribution that Smith and other Scots made to the development of Canada is celebrated at The Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University (SFU), itself named after the Scottish explorer/fur trader who opened up the West of Canada. SFU is best known for, particularly in Scotland, is its award-winning pipe band. A regular attendee at the World Pipe Band Championships held each year on Glasgow Green, the Canadian contingent has taken the title no less than four times.

Every January 25, SFU also leads a parade in honour of Scotland’s national bard. Burns, as you’d expect, has no shortage of Canadian devotees. Chief among them is the Vancouver Burns Fellowship, which was instrumental in erecting a statue of their hero in Stanley Park, a statue cast from the original moulds used for the Burns statue in Ayr. A great bringer together of men, it’s fitting that Burns is involved in Vancouver’s Chinese New Year celebrations. Each year, Gung Haggis Fat Choy sees Chinese men donning kilts and Scots tucking into haggis wonton. In addition, every other May sees competitors and visitors from Scotland, the USA, British Columbia and Canada descend on Vancouver for a competitive festival of Gaelic music and song. The next Mòd Vancouver is scheduled for May 2005.

Increasing the strong links between the two countries, to augment mutual exploration, has never been easier. From this May, Ottawa-based Zoom Airlines, which was founded by Scottish-born entrepreneur Hugh Boyle, will be running scheduled air services between Glasgow and six Canadian airports. This adds to the services operated by Canadian-Affair, Airtransat and Air Canada between other Scottish and Canadian airports.  
 

For the full article, visit http://www.friendsofscotland.gov.uk/culture/canada.html