Louis Riel Day

[blueblood]

On Monday Feb. 18th Manitoba will be celebrating Louis Riel Day. I am embarrassed to be a Manitoban because of this.

What has this country come to when we are celebrating a traitor and an individual responsible for the deaths of brave mounted police officers and Canadian soldiers.

[eyeball]

This country or at least Manitoba has come to recognize a freedom fighter when it sees one. This is one of Canada's prouder moments. Maybe there's still hope for us after all.

[rbacon]

He was an Ego-Maniac who got his neck stretched in a rigged typical Canadian Trial. So What? The RCMP have killed thousands since then. They are nothing to be proud of either.

[jdobbin]

On Monday Feb. 18th Manitoba will be celebrating Louis Riel Day. I am embarrassed to be a Manitoban because of this.

What has this country come to when we are celebrating a traitor and an individual responsible for the deaths of brave mounted police officers and Canadian soldiers.

He was also responsible for getting Manitoba into Confederation.

[August1991]

On Monday Feb. 18th Manitoba will be celebrating Louis Riel Day. I am embarrassed to be a Manitoban because of this.

Weird.

Only in English Canada would people object to a holiday. Maybe Protestant/Lutheran Swedes and Finns feel the same way.

Edited February 16, 2008 by August1991

[Melanie_]

Manitoba wanted a February holiday, so a day was chosen and then there was public consultation on what the day should be celebrating. Louis Riel won. The timing is nice, because it falls during Festival du Voyageur, but the point really was to have a break during the long stretch between New Year's Day and Easter, when there were no holidays. I'm just happy to have Monday off, regardless of who or what it comemmorates.

[blueblood]

He was also responsible for getting Manitoba into Confederation.

So the ends justify the means. There are way more other people far more worthy of having a day named after them than a blasted traitor and a murderer. That would be like the United States celebrating Jefferson Davis day.

[blueblood]

Weird.

Only in English Canada would people object to a holiday. Maybe Protestant/Lutheran Swedes and Finns feel the same way.

I don't mind the holiday, they named it after a traitor is the problem I have with it.

[jdobbin]

So the ends justify the means. There are way more other people far more worthy of having a day named after them than a blasted traitor and a murderer. That would be like the United States celebrating Jefferson Davis day.

Hmm, wasn't Washington a traitor?

Edited February 17, 2008 by jdobbin

[Borg]

Nothing like honouring a frigging traitor.

Glad it back happened then - they were not afraid to hang a traitor - now-a-days he would be sitting at dinner with the likes of the Trudeau or Dion family.

Canada the apologist. Afraid to stand for much of anything. All in the name of tolerance.

Borg

[BubberMiley]

He certainly wasn't a traitor to his people. He died for them.

The Canadian government was the party that reneged on the agreement they made in 1870 to bring Manitoba into Confederation. If anyone betrayed anyone, it was them.

Now Washington, yes, he betrayed his own people. That's different.

[margrace]

Do you people know anything about the Metis. They had farms and properties and they were stolen from them. They were treated badly and Riel only was trying to stick up for them.

[Borg]

Do you people know anything about the Metis. They had farms and properties and they were stolen from them. They were treated badly and Riel only was trying to stick up for them.

Blah and blah.

To the vistor go the spoils.

Tough to imagine why we as canuckleheads would honour this man - unless it is to be politically correct and pacify those who were on the losing side and are now taking the government schilling.

I refuse to apologize for my ancestors actions and I see no reason why we should honour a person such as this.

Borg

[blueblood]

Hmm, wasn't Washington a traitor?

Washington won his war, Riel didn't. Washington wasn't tried in a court of law and convicted by a jury.

All Riel had to do is not execute that Thomas Scott and he would have been entitled to his day. But he did, and was also responsible for the deaths of NWMP officers and Canadian soldiers.

That logic of Riel day makes as much sense as in a hundred years, we having a James Roszko day? Heck he's fighting the system too.

[jdobbin]

Washington won his war, Riel didn't. Washington wasn't tried in a court of law and convicted by a jury.

All Riel had to do is not execute that Thomas Scott and he would have been entitled to his day. But he did, and was also responsible for the deaths of NWMP officers and Canadian soldiers.

Manitoba would not be Manitoba without Riel. If he was a traitor, it was to people in Ontario. That wasn't the universal opinion in Manitoba.

It is quite possible that had Riel not demonstrated the will of the Metis on the matter that we would not have seen the Manitoba Act for many more years. The forces from Ontario were determined to undermine the Metis.

Edited February 17, 2008 by jdobbin

[eyeball]

Canada the apologist. Afraid to stand for much of anything. All in the name of tolerance.

Borg

No. Canada the pragmatist. Sensible enough to not become so attached to things that it can't afford to let them go from time to time. To avoid intolerance.

[Borg]

Snip - To avoid intolerance. end snip

As I said - all in the name of tolerance.

We avoid your "intolerance" at all cost to canada and canuckleheads.

This country - because of people who think like you - has rapidly begun to stand for nothing.

Borg

[blueblood]

Manitoba would not be Manitoba without Riel. If he was a traitor, it was to people in Ontario. That wasn't the universal opinion in Manitoba.

It is quite possible that had Riel not demonstrated the will of the Metis on the matter that we would not have seen the Manitoba Act for many more years. The forces from Ontario were determined to undermine the Metis.

Who cares if Manitoba existed or not, how many other provinces are around without resorting to traitorous activity? Manitoba would most likely have came about anyway. Louis Riel made the mistake of killing the guy right in the middle of negotiations he would have won anyway. Canadian troops came and he ran away like the coward he is. Thomas Scott died for expressing a point of view different than Riel's, should we not execute all the members of the BQ then?

Then lets not forget his adventure in Saskatchewan where he was responsible for the deaths of NWMP officers, and we are celebrating this man? Give your head a shake.

[jdobbin]

Who cares if Manitoba existed or not, how many other provinces are around without resorting to traitorous activity? Manitoba would most likely have came about anyway. Louis Riel made the mistake of killing the guy right in the middle of negotiations he would have won anyway. Canadian troops came and he ran away like the coward he is. Thomas Scott died for expressing a point of view different than Riel's, should we not execute all the members of the BQ then?

Then lets not forget his adventure in Saskatchewan where he was responsible for the deaths of NWMP officers, and we are celebrating this man? Give your head a shake.

I certainly care that Manitoba became a province. There is certainly reason to believe that negotiations wouldn't have gone Manitoba's way. There were forces undermining it at every turn.

I think a lot of feelings against Riel even today are strictly about race, language and religion.

I don't celebrate all of Riel's life but it is fairly certain that Manitoba would still be run by the HBC for many more years had people like Riel not been around.

[blueblood]

I certainly care that Manitoba became a province. There is certainly reason to believe that negotiations wouldn't have gone Manitoba's way. There were forces undermining it at every turn.

I think a lot of feelings against Riel even today are strictly about race, language and religion.

I don't celebrate all of Riel's life but it is fairly certain that Manitoba would still be run by the HBC for many more years had people like Riel not been around.

My feelings about Riel aren't about those items you mention, it is the fact that he is a convicted traitor, murderer, and a mountie killer, the facts speak for themselves.

I also live near a Metis community, and get along with them great and some have done very well for themselves. I have no problem with them, I do have a problem with making a hero out of somebody who kills people who don't agree with them, commit treason, and kill Canadian mounties and soldiers.

He was a member of parliament and that wasn't good enough for him, he had to set up provisional governments. His stand at Batoche is similar to Waco in Texas.

[jdobbin]

He was a member of parliament and that wasn't good enough for him, he had to set up provisional governments. His stand at Batoche is similar to Waco in Texas.

He was elected an MP in 1873 an could never take his seat because he feared assassination. The man who would give him amnesty died before he could see it implemented.

While you have no problem with the Metis, the people who took their lands certainly did.

Your attitude is more similar to someone from Ontario than from Manitoba.

[blueblood]

He was elected an MP in 1873 an could never take his seat because he feared assassination. The man who would give him amnesty died before he could see it implemented.

While you have no problem with the Metis, the people who took their lands certainly did.

Your attitude is more similar to someone from Ontario than from Manitoba.

The attitude that convicted traitors, murderers, and mountie/soldier killers should not have a day named after them is not an Ontario attitude, it's just common sense. It's also the attitude of rural Manitobans with a British Heritage (which isn't very much people anymore)

Why not have James Roszko day? He's an inspiration to low lifes everywhere.

If it was their land, where was their deeds? It was also HBC land sold to the gov't. Riel didn't recognize that he was subordinate to the gov't of Canada and paid the price, so did Canadian soldiers and Mounties.

[jdobbin]

The attitude that convicted traitors, murderers, and mountie/soldier killers should not have a day named after them is not an Ontario attitude, it's just common sense. It's also the attitude of rural Manitobans with a British Heritage (which isn't very much people anymore)

Yes, I figured it was the attitude of rural people of British descent.

Guess you will have to find a new political party in Manitoba to support since they are supported Louis Riel Day.

[BubberMiley]

Who cares if Manitoba existed or not, how many other provinces are around without resorting to traitorous activity? Manitoba would most likely have came about anyway.

Actually, Manitoba would probably have become a U.S. state without Riel to negotiate Manitoba into Canada. With the bridge of MB part of the U.S., the rest of western Canada would have likely become part of the States too.

Not that that would necessarily have been a bad thing. It's just probably what would have happened.

[eyeball]

As I said - all in the name of tolerance.

We avoid your "intolerance" at all cost to canada and canuckleheads.

This country - because of people who think like you - has rapidly begun to stand for nothing.

Borg

I'm afraid you don't understand, its to avoid OUR being intolerant, like you. I'll happily stand up to that all the live long day, for nothing even.

Things like Loius Riel Day help to remind us of our past intolerance and that much of our country's foundation is standing on the back's of other people. If you've ever wondered why Canada appears to be teetering its because its foundations are built on soft mushy principles. People like me are working to fix that. Fixing foundations are always more expensive than building them correctly in the first place.

Thanks anyway.