Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee: A look at her legacy in Canada
Global News
The Queen marks her 70th year on the throne this month, but her relationship with Canada began when she was a princess.
The Queen has adapted to the expansion of liberal democracies while respecting ancient royal customs to create a magic dust that has left an enduring influence on Canada as she marks her Platinum Jubilee, experts say.
Prof. Andrew Heard of Simon Fraser University’s political science department said the Queen has been influential by showing Canadians she is their monarch.
“She’s embraced her role as the Queen of Canada in a cultural and political way,” he said. “She’s been a very important consolidation of Canada’s sense of being its own country, even though it’s emerged from the legacy of British colonialism.”
The Queen marks her 70th year on the throne this month, but her relationship with Canada began when she was a princess. She has visited this country 31 times, including refuelling stops, since her coronation in 1952.
Heard said he believes the Queen has a genuine affection for Canada.
“She has visibly enjoyed her visits over here,” he said. “That’s helped Canadians feel that they are unique, special, important and people worth knowing.”
During her reign, she has been with Canadians in celebration and in tragedy, including making a stop during a visit in 1959 to Pointe-du-Chene, N.B., where she met the families of fishermen who died in a storm.
The moments that helped cement the Queen’s legacy among Canadians, Heard said, also include the signing of the proclamation of the Constitution Act in 1982, giving Canada’s Parliament the power to amend the Constitution without the approval of its British counterpart.