Roundup: The Canadian coronation event

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As rain poured on the Coronation in London, where the prime minister and Governor General were in attendance, it was sunny and pleasant at the much, much smaller ceremony in Ottawa. The key feature of that event was four unveilings—new commemorative coins featuring the King’s cypher, the first stamp from Canada Post with King Charles III’s effigy, a new royal standard which was basically a more generic version of the old one, but which won’t be personalised for each monarch, and a new heraldic Canadian Crown, which will replace the current St. Edward’s Crown on things like coats of arms and military badges. We also finally got the news that the King will eventually replace his mother on coins and $20 banknotes, but the latter is likely years away.

https://twitter.com/TheCrownCa/status/1654883768522493954

https://twitter.com/TheCrownCa/status/1654912019798040579

https://twitter.com/Canadian_Crown/status/1654926551576608771

I did want to give a special shout out to Mary May Simon’s coronation dress, which was made by an Indigenous designer, and which featured her coat of arms embroidered along the front, which was amazing. (Thread below)

https://twitter.com/GGCanada/status/1654874274715279360

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russian Forces have launched another massive wave of missiles against Ukraine, hitting Kyiv and Odessa, while they have intensified shelling in Bakhmut in the hopes of overtaking it ahead of Tuesday, which is Victory Day in Russia. To that end, Wagner Group mercenaries are now saying they won’t pull out of Bakhmut as they had threatened earlier (but that threat may well have been empty). Ukrainian forces have shot down a Russian hypersonic missile using an American Patriot defence system, proving the technology in the field. Russian occupiers in Zaporizhzhia have been “evacuating” civilians away from the expected front-lines of the counter-offensive. And a prisoner exchange was held over the weekend that included 45 soldiers from the Azov battalion captured at Mariupol.

https://twitter.com/defencehq/status/1654725483211239424

https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1655150652522217473

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau says that King Charles III is “deeply aligned” with Canadian priorities, but as a constitutional monarch, he does what the government tells him.
  • Trudeau also says the decision around expelling the named Chinese diplomat in the Chong revelations is being made “very, very carefully.”
  • Trudeau also shrugged off his party’s policy vote on electoral reform, saying it is “not a priority.”
  • Marco Mendicino issued a ministerial directive to limit use of “dry cells” in federal penitentiaries.
  • The Liberal convention’s policy process was a gong show, but hey, it’s not like that actually matters since they neutered it, right?
  • Here is a look at why the Conservatives are treading fairly carefully on the foreign interference file (yes, really).
  • Michael Chong has been doing the media rounds over the weekend, with the Star and Global.
  • Alberta has declared a state of emergency because of wildfires.
  • Heather Scoffield notes that as our population reaches 40 million, we need to do a better job of doing the things that will retain immigrants.
  • Matt Gurney took a trip to London to see the Coronation from the crowds.
  • Shannon Proudfoot talks to various people about what the monarchy means to them as it transitions, and reflects on the broader sense in Canada.
  • Proudfoot also looked at the Liberal convention as a “happy little terrarium” the party built for itself, as the party told itself what it wanted to hear.
  • Althia Raj hears from Liberals at their convention who are still steamed about the broken promise on electoral reform (which was a bad promise, guys!)
  • Raj also saw from the convention that the Liberals are keen to pain Poilievre with the same brush as Trump and DeSantis, which may yet backfire on them.
  • Susan Delacourt makes several observations about the Liberal convention, and how this is still very much a party that is beholden to Trudeau.
  • Philippe Lagassé reflects on the angst over the creation of the heraldic Canadian Crown, and the British connections it supplants.

Odds and ends:

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