The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

39 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,June 24,2021 insidehalton.com 2O21CanadaCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebratingCelebrating Canada is 154 years old this year, a nation estab- lished with confederation in 1867. From sea to sea to sea it's a country of diverse peoples and landscapes both built and natural. As a nation we have much to celebrate. Reflecting on the past reveals many achievements of which to be proud as well as many tragedies that challenge our understanding of this country. On Canada Day we acknowledge the dif- ficulties faced by this nation while also celebrating its people, places and accomplishments. Father of Invention George Klein was one of Canada's most accomplished inventors. While working for the National Research Council from 1929-1969 he developed the first electric wheelchair and invented aircraft skis, the army snowmobile/ATV, the microsur- gical staple gun, the ZEEP nuclear reactor, a scientific language for snow and other feats of mechanical engi- neering. He was recalled from retirement to consult on the Canadarm. A native of Hamilton, Ontario, he died in 1992 at the age of 88. The Nature of Suzuki Environmental activist and Canadian science broadcaster, David Suzuki has been hosting the CBC television series "The Nature of Things" since 1979. A recipient of the Order of Canada in 1976, he was honoured with the UNESCO's 'Kalinga Prize' in 1986 for his excep- tional skill in presenting scien- tific ideas to lay people. The 85-year-old established the David Suzuki Foundation in 1991 to work for balancing human needs with the earth's ability to sustain life. CBC photo by Kevin Van Paassen Photography Saving face The greatest save made by Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante is saving the faces of countless goalies. Tired of getting hit in the face by pucks, he invented a fiberglass goalie mask and wore it during a game for the first time in 1959. After donning the homemade PPE, Plante led the Canadiens to an 18-game winning streak, putting doubts about the mask to rest. Pictured with Plante is Ron Low (left) who was making his Maple Leaf debut in 1972. Toronto Star Archive Photo Ecological Royalty Designated a national his- toric site of Canada in 1993, Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) has been an ecological jewel at the western tip of Lake Ontario in the Hamilton area for more than 80 years. Revered worldwide for not only its extensive 400 acres of display gardens, RBG also protects and stewards more than 2,300 acres of environmentally sensitive lands and diverse ecosystems that connect the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Ontario. Metroland File Photo The (Humanitarian) Hip The Tragically Hip (fronted by the late lead singer/ songwriter Gord Downie, guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langois, drummer Johnny Fay and bassist Gord Sinclair) received the 2021 Juno humanitarian award in honour of decades of phil- anthropic efforts. Their 2016 15-show final tour helped to raise more than $1 million for The Canadian Cancer Society and the Sunnybrook Foundation. The group also supported organizations like Camp Trillium and the Special Olympics as well as mental health initiatives in the music industry. Torstar File Photo Write On Canadian author Margaret Atwood's website lists a total of 139 awards she's received from 1960 to 2020 with the list for this past decade being the longest. She's the author of more than 50 books of fiction pub- lished in more than 45 coun- tries. Co-winner of the 2019 Booker Prize, her latest novel, "The Testaments", is a sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale", now an award-winning television series. - Luis Mora photo NHL First In 1992 Canadian goal- tender, Manon Rheaume, became the first female to play in an NHL exhibition game and a regular-season pro game (IHL). A former national team goalie who won silver with Team Canada at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Rheaume made history when she suited up for an NHL pre-season game with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Torstar File Photo Elevated Camping Parks Canada's oasis structures are currently available to rent in a handful of provinces. Designed as a teardrop-shaped 'duplex', the oasis is complete with a convertible table/bed on the main level and suspended ham- mock loft above. This pod is located at Park National Kouchibouguac on New Brunswick's Acadian Coast. Photo courtesy Parks Canada/Nigel Fearon We the Champs "We the North" was the rallying call for Toronto Raptors fans who were rewarded in 2019 with the team's dramatic NBA championship win, the first in franchise his- tory on their first trip to the NBA Finals. Canada's basketball team beat the Golden State Warriors 114-110 to capture the championship after 25 years in the league. Sustaining Cereal Pablum was invented by doc- tors at SickKids hospital's Nutritional Research Laboratories in the 1930s. It was the world's first vitamin- enriched instant baby cereal. Royalties from Pablum funded research at the hospital for years. The cereal was created to help curb infant malnutrition and rickets. Marta Iwanek/Toronto Star Photo Court Queen Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga became the first Canadian singles tennis player to win a major cham- pionship title. She made her mark in tennis history in 2019 at the age of 19. Andreescu won the US Open, beating U.S. superstar Serena Williams. Cheers Canada Canadians aren't unique in the practice of cel- ebrating with a beverage in hand but there are some uniquely Canadian drinks. The "Bloody" Caesar was invented in Calgary in 1969 by Walter Chell who added clam juice to a traditional Bloody Mary. Visitors to Newfoundland are likely to be "screeched in" with a shot of high alcohol rum. Canadian whisky, beer and ice wine all represent our country well. Caribou is a tradition in Quebec with families concocting their own recipes for a potent and warming brew. Yay Canada Gary Carr Regional Chair HappyCanadaDay! Please celebrate safelywhile followingPublicHealth guidance.