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The Manse is bursting with artwork. Every time I walk into a room, a new sketch has appeared, as good as the first. There is scarcely an inch left of white left on the Community Mural, and it’s already starting to look like a masterpiece. Sweet crepes with spicy yogurt are the favourite snack of the day as the Manse Kitchen remains busy all day with behind the scene preparations. It’s not hard to imagine how the Manse would have functioned in its heyday, with servants bustling up and down between the floors. It will be sad to have to return to normal after Macdonald Week is over. The biggest excitement comes when CBC National arrives on our doorstep, set to interview Sir John A. Macdonald in the parlour.
As it gets dark, we somehow all find ourselves at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library for the evening’s main event—an Exclusive Book Launch for Macdonald at 200. Co Editors, Patrice Dutil and Roger Hall, and contributor David Wilson sit in the greenroom, talking to reporters as SALON staff, and our partners from Kingston Writer’s Fest bustle around, setting up the wine, cheese, and a giant, extremely conspicuous Sir John A. Macdonald head. We leave him perched on a piano to oversee the evening’s presentations. As guests settle into their seats, SALON’s Isabelle Macdonald, Sir John A. Macdonald and newspaper boy, Calvin Hobbs entertain us with an original song—The Five Thorns in My Side. The lyrics are hilarious, and the three-part harmony is beautiful.
Dr. Roger Hall of Western University opens the discussions, and proves that not all academics are dry. He wittily reminds us that each generation writes its own history. What is important to us now is reflected in what we see when we look to the past. It feels like an especially important point to the members of SALON, who use artistic expression to bring the past to life.
Dr.David Wilson of University of Toronto gets up next to discuss the Fenians, and Macdonald’s response to these thorns in his side. Likening Canada’s first Prime Minister to Machiavelli, the professor admits “a deepening respect” for Macdonald, despite being a firm social democrat himself. He also explores the question of whether John A. was an Orange Man out of social convention or deeper belief, and admits that we can perhaps never know. Erin W., the Medium who joined us on Day 1 of Macdonald Week would perhaps beg to differ.
As Dr. Wilson wraps, Dr. Patrice Dutil of Ryerson University takes the podium to discuss Macdonald’s time in office. Jokingly, he suggests that perhaps it was Sir John A. Macdonald who was the true inventor of the power nap. More seriously, he makes the point, so important to us all that, our politicians don’t do much remembering of Macdonald. He suggests after that historians will look back on Macdonald Week as an event of importance. The SALON team starts beaming with this remark.
As the Book Launch ends, we are whisked to the next event at the Screening Room, a series of short films produced by local Kingston children at Rideau Public School, COGECO, and our own SALON Acting Company. To avoid spoilers, all I will say is this: If these films are representative of the next generation, we have nothing to fear. What bright kids! You can catch the best films of the night later this winter as part of Kingston Canadian Film Festival in February.
As it gets dark, we somehow all find ourselves at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library for the evening’s main event—an Exclusive Book Launch for Macdonald at 200. Co Editors, Patrice Dutil and Roger Hall, and contributor David Wilson sit in the greenroom, talking to reporters as SALON staff, and our partners from Kingston Writer’s Fest bustle around, setting up the wine, cheese, and a giant, extremely conspicuous Sir John A. Macdonald head. We leave him perched on a piano to oversee the evening’s presentations. As guests settle into their seats, SALON’s Isabelle Macdonald, Sir John A. Macdonald and newspaper boy, Calvin Hobbs entertain us with an original song—The Five Thorns in My Side. The lyrics are hilarious, and the three-part harmony is beautiful.
Dr. Roger Hall of Western University opens the discussions, and proves that not all academics are dry. He wittily reminds us that each generation writes its own history. What is important to us now is reflected in what we see when we look to the past. It feels like an especially important point to the members of SALON, who use artistic expression to bring the past to life.
Dr.David Wilson of University of Toronto gets up next to discuss the Fenians, and Macdonald’s response to these thorns in his side. Likening Canada’s first Prime Minister to Machiavelli, the professor admits “a deepening respect” for Macdonald, despite being a firm social democrat himself. He also explores the question of whether John A. was an Orange Man out of social convention or deeper belief, and admits that we can perhaps never know. Erin W., the Medium who joined us on Day 1 of Macdonald Week would perhaps beg to differ.
As Dr. Wilson wraps, Dr. Patrice Dutil of Ryerson University takes the podium to discuss Macdonald’s time in office. Jokingly, he suggests that perhaps it was Sir John A. Macdonald who was the true inventor of the power nap. More seriously, he makes the point, so important to us all that, our politicians don’t do much remembering of Macdonald. He suggests after that historians will look back on Macdonald Week as an event of importance. The SALON team starts beaming with this remark.
As the Book Launch ends, we are whisked to the next event at the Screening Room, a series of short films produced by local Kingston children at Rideau Public School, COGECO, and our own SALON Acting Company. To avoid spoilers, all I will say is this: If these films are representative of the next generation, we have nothing to fear. What bright kids! You can catch the best films of the night later this winter as part of Kingston Canadian Film Festival in February.
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