April  9^th marked the 97^th Anniversary of the day on which, many historians contend, Canada asserted itself as a nation.  It was on April 9, 1917 that all units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force came together as the Canadian Corps for the attack on Vimy Ridge.

Once again the seasons move slowly from Winter into Spring and the subtle changes that occur will slip by unnoticed until one day there are blossoms all around us and we wonder when things changed.  This is often the norm in our lives and also in the life of a nation.  Days and events pass by, often unnoticed and without fanfare, then slip quietly into history, seldom remembered or recalled.  They are often however, the precursors of great things to come.  The beginnings of something new!

THE FACE ON THE TEN DOLLAR BILL

The Winter Olympics arrived in Vancouver with fanfare and celebration as well as an influx of international tourists.  As I was standing in a check-out line the couple a few places ahead of me, who were quite obviously tourists, were examining Canadian money.  One asked the other, “Who’s this old guy on the ten dollar bill?”  “I don’t know,” was the reply.  “Some old politician I guess.  He must have done something important to be on the money.”