Oh Canada!

My Motherland, My Maple-Glazed Muse

Our five-month-old granddaughter in a onesie we bought on vacation last summer.

This Canada Day, I’m raising a virtual Tim Horton’s latte to the land that gave me cousins, candy, character—and my mum.

Though I was born in the U.S., my roots stretch deep into Montreal, where my mother grew up in the English-speaking suburb of Westmount. In her late 20s, she made the brave leap to the States—$1,000 in hand, a job lined up, and a hope for new beginnings. A USO volunteer gig led her to my dad, an Army officer, and voila… one anniversary and two days later, I arrived!

My first trip to Canada at eight weeks old with Dad and Mom.

Canada was my childhood escape hatch. Every summer we’d road trip to Montreal while Dad was at Army Reserve camp. We’d stay in my Nana’s old house, gorging on Aunt Marcy’s Tourtière and poutine, and visiting my cousins in the Laurentians where the air smelled like raspberries and freedom. It was barefoot bliss.

1970 Laurentian visit. Me in two piece.

Winters? Less idyllic. We Virginians brought light jackets into a land that laughs at wind chill warnings. As the saying does- ‘There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.’

As an adult, I keep returning. My husband, Gary, and I have taken unforgettable motorcycle trips through Alberta, British Columbia, and the Maritimes — including a bucket-list stop on Prince Edward Island (hello, Anne of Green Gables!) and Quebec City.

Lobsters galore on Prince Edwards Island.

Canada has always been more than a vacation spot. It’s my motherland — a place full of love, laughter, and the kind of gentle chaos that shaped me. So today, while our northern neighbors celebrate the Constitutional Act of 1867, I’m celebrating them.

Family fun continues at Blue Hills, Laurentians.

Happy Canada Day, dear friends and family. May your skies be wide, your lakes be calm, and your maple syrup never run dry. 🇨🇦