Good morning. Wendy Cox in Vancouver today.
Each person among the dozens of Canadians interviewed by Globe reporters since the death of Queen Elizabeth has mentioned a personal reason for taking the time to reflect. For some former Hong Kongers, the loss of the Queen is inextricably tied to their sadness of what they’ve lost as their city comes firmly under the grip of Beijing.
Andrew Yu’s family emigrated from the former British colony to Canada in the 1980s. Speaking outside the British consulate, Mr. Yu, who’s in his 30s, noted that it was during her reign when the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed.
“So I guess her passing, in some ways, from my point of view, is also an analogy of Hong Kong’s passing because we all know what’s happening in Hong Kong.”
Bill Chan, also among the group paying tribute, said Hong Kongers had a good life while it was under British colonial rule.
“She gave us freedom,” Mr. Chan said.
Back then, there was no fear of getting arrested for speaking up against the government, he said, but now, it’s different.
Mr. Chan, who moved from Hong Kong to Canada two years ago, said the Queen was like a mother figure to many Hong Kongers. Now, “we are like orphans.”
Queen Elizabeth as a mother figure also resonated with Marsha Lederman, The Globe’s Western arts correspondent and columnist. In an essay today, Marsha notes the Queen didn’t mean that much to her.
But Marsha writes, the Queen’s death triggered a deep and surprising longing for her own mother, who died 16 years ago. The two women, born a year apart on the same continent, had exactly nothing else in common. But Marsha recounts how her mother adored Queen Elizabeth and more importantly, what the Queen represented.
“Was it because Queen Elizabeth was the official head of state of the country that had welcomed my parents as refugees, given them a new shot at life? Or because she led the country that had helped liberate Europe after the Second World War – giving my parents actual life? Did it mean something to my Holocaust survivor parents that young Elizabeth had actually joined the women’s branch of the British Army?
“Maybe. But I think it was actually something a little less profound. Something generational. To my mother, Queen Elizabeth radiated grace and importance – at a time when being graceful and important mattered.”
Gordon Campbell had occasion to spend time with the Queen frequently through a career first as mayor of Vancouver, then as B.C. premier and then finally as Canada’s High Commissioner in London, In an essay today, he describes how he witnessed first hand the impact this woman had on her subjects, from the elderly lady at a UBC event who showed the Queen a tiny gold replica of the coronation carriage – but declined to hand it over – to the thousands of Vancouver hockey fans who roared their approval when, accompanied by Wayne Gretzky, the Queen dropped the puck at a Canucks game.
Near the end of his term as High Commissioner, Mr. Campbell was invited for dinner and an overnight stay at Windsor Castle. The evening didn’t get off to a great start, he writes. “Who are you?” the butler inquired when Mr. Campbell asked where he was sitting.
Upon hearing the answer, Mr. Campbell was directed to the seat beside the Queen, an indication of the sovereign’s regard for Canada. Later in the evening, he was invited to accompany her to her archives, where red 2010 Olympic gloves and Canada’s Olympic hockey jersey were on display near the Magna Carta. At another table was an early map of Vancouver, noting Point Grey, the area Mr. Campbell had represented when he sat in the B.C. legislature.
“This is incredible!” he exclaimed.
Mr. Campbell continues: “She smiled at me and, with her eyes laughing, replied: “Not that incredible. It’s why I have an archivist.”
“As I remember her, I remember her warmth, her sparkle, her questions, but I also think of what an incredible gift she gave us all. She gave us the gift of her life, of her commitment to others, of her dedication to millions around the world. She gave us the gift of her example. May she rest now, knowing that her life is inspirational.”