Roots and Wings

If you look carefully, you will see the Saltire, or St Andrew’s Cross, flying over many British Government Buildings today, including the British High Commission here in Ottawa. That’s because today is St Andrew’s Day – the patron saint of Scotland. St Andrew was one of the apostles, and was crucified on a diagonal cross – hence the distinctive markings of the Saltire.

For me, St Andrew’s Day is a chance to reflect on the incredible ties between Scotland and Canada. Fellow diplomats here in Canada often talk to me of engaging with their diaspora communities, and identifying where those communities are concentrated.

This is incredibly difficult when it comes to Scotland because Scottish blood so deeply permeates Canadian history, culture and even language that it’s hard to discern where Scotland ends and Canada begins. There are 5 million Canadians of Scottish descent – the same as the entire population of Scotland.

The Scots over time have really made their mark here. It has been claimed that 13 of Canada’s 22 Prime Ministers were of Scottish descent. Sir John A MacDonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, born in Glasgow, is one notable example, as well as his successor, Alexander MacKenzie.

Even John Diefenbaker and Pierre Trudeau had Scottish Canadian mothers. And the list goes on: Donald Smith, George Brown, James McGill – all names to conjure with. Tommy Douglas – the father of the NDP and Canadian Healthcare – was born in Falkirk in 1904.

Early explorers, Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and James Douglas left their mark, giving their names to rivers and trees. On the east coast, the Scots landed at Pictou, and named a new Province: Nova Scotia. And it wasn’t all men of course, Canada’s first female Member of Parliament wasn’t born in Scotland but where else could she hail from with a name like Agnes Campbell MacPhail.

I’m not Scottish, but am married to a Scot, and have two half Yorkshire, half Scottish children. My kids are proud of their roots, and, since they are destined to spend their diplomatic childhood travelling the world, it’s important to me that they know where they’re from.

The best piece of advice I was given when embarking on motherhood was that the greatest gifts you could give your children are roots and wings. Roots, to know where they’re from; and wings, to get them where they dream to go.

The Canadians with Scottish heritage that I meet all over Canada are living proof of that – they, or their ancestors, had the wings to bring them here, but strong enough roots to be proud of their Scottish heritage.

Happy St Andrew’s Day!