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4 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, September 14, 2016
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ikon Expositor
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Canada
Passionate Canadian paid with his life
Tom Villemaire
Thomas D'Arcy McGee
was a man of passion-
ate — if not always con-
sistent — convictions who
had a huge impact on
Canada.
Born in Ireland, he left
there at the age of 17 in 1842
for North America. Like
many, he arrived in the
United States, eventually
moving to Canada.
Politically, his journey zig-
zagged with him.
In his early days he was a
revolutionary, trying to over-
throw British rule in Ireland.
As an immigrant to the U.S.,
he supported it annexing
Canada so the Catholics flee-
ing the east coast for the west
could set up a new colony
there.
As an immigrant to Can-
ada, he tried to convince Irish
Catholics to work with the
Protestant British to form a
Confederation.
By 1857 McGee had moved
to Montreal, thanks to the
entreaties of the Irish com-
munity leaders there. He was
back in the flock of the Cath-
olic Church and proclaimed
Canada a haven for Catholic
rights. Then he worked to
ensure it would stay that way.
In the winter of 1857,
McGee was one of three
members elected to repre-
sent Montreal in the Legisla-
tive Assembly. By 1863, he
was in John A. Macdonald's
Dear Editor,
The Seaforth Agriculture
Society is again putting
together the Fall Fair Parade.
Our 2016 theme is "Sow It,
Grow It, Show It" We would
like the community to partici-
pate with floats, trucks old or
new. We have several bands
coming, so with your
second administration and
minister of agriculture, immi-
gration and statistics.
In 1864 he was off to Char-
lottetown and then Quebec
for conferences on a confed-
eration. It was at Quebec that
he brought forward a resolu-
tion guaranteeing the educa-
tional rights of religious
minorities, especially in
young Ontario.
McGee had gone from fire-
brand, British -hating revolu-
tionary to an admirer of Brit-
ish parliament. By 1866, this
moderation raised the ire of
his Irish supporters in Mon-
treal, many of whom hated
the British. He didn't attend
the London conference on
confederation in 1866; his
alienation with the Irish
meant he was now a liability.
He helped to create the
Confederation of Canada in
1867 and remained optimis-
tic despite other setbacks.
McGee ran in the Ontario
election as a candidate for
Prescott and lost.
Macdonald promised him
a position post -politics in
1868.
As he faced his retirement
from politics, he looked for-
ward to developing his ideas
of a "new nationality" and
helping Canada to evolve to
a different state than
America.
One aspect that McGee saw
as key was the establishment
of a distinctiveCanadian art,
especially literature.
participation we should have a
great fun time with our Main
Street spectators. We leave the
Optimist Park at 10:30 a.m. Sat-
urday September 17. See you
there.
-Parade Committee
Joan Whyte
Bill Kerslake
Bob Fisher
He also believed one of the
defining aspects of Canada
was its continued relation-
ship with the United King-
dom and suggested one solu-
tion was the establishment of
a "kingdom on the St. Law-
rence" with one of Queen
Victoria's sons as the sover-
eign. Not surprisingly, these
views displeased some of his
republican brethren.
He looked ahead "to the
future of my adopted country
with hope, though not with-
out anxiety. I see in the not
remote distance, one great
nationality bound, like the
shield of Achilles, by the blue
rim of ocean. I see it quar-
tered into many communi-
ties, each disposing of its
internal affairs, but all bound
together by free institutions,
free intercourse and free
commerce."
But in the wee hours of
April 7, 1868, McGee was
shot and killed by an assassin
on the steps of his boarding
house, a week before his 43rd
birthday — which as it turns
out, was also the day he was
buried.
An Irish immigrant, Patrick
Whelan who had lived a ram-
bling life, at one point living
in Hamilton, was charged,
convicted and hanged.
— Tom Villemaire is a
writer based in Toronto and
the Bruce Peninsula.Tom@
historylab.ca
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