I spent most of my long weekend doing very little and I enjoyed it all very much. I did read the newspaper and including a particular Facts & Arguments essay from the June 30 Globe and Mail.

It's not one of my favourite essays. In fact, I almost didn't read it to its completion when the first couple of paragraphs lamented the loss of 'Dominion Day' for Canada. It's not that I have anything against Dominion Day but it's just that you read the same complaint in the letters to the editor column across our fine country around this time every year, right beside the shaming Canadian history quizzes.

But the essay was more than just a lament of the death of Dominion Day. The author lamented on a Canadian flag that would never be. A Canadian flag that was to reflect our nation from sea to sea (a mare usque ad mare: as it reads on our country's coat of arms) but was passed up for our current flag of red and white. The author tells us that his father had a theory for the betrayal: the Liberal Party (who are traditionally represented by the colour red) wanted to keep the Conservative's Party traditional blue colour off the flag. 

If this is true, and it's not entirely unfeasible in these strange days, then it would be such a shame. Because the more I look at the red, white, and blue Canadian flag, the more I like it. I like the fact that the blue would be more inclusive to not only the Conservatives, but more importantly to the Quebecois. And many to our many provinces on our Western and Eastern coasts who need some appeasing of their own. I like the homage to water.

So when we finally change our constitution, I suggest that we change our flag to reflect the changes that will make our country more inclusive to its provinces. And while we're at it, let's change Canada Day back to Dominion Day. It will make for one less predictable letter in the paper.