Canada Day

July 1st  1867 is the date of the Constitution Act which united the three colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the United Province of Canada into a single country called Canada within the British Empire.   Originally called Dominion Day the holiday was renamed Canada Day in 1982.

 

And it was 52 years ago today, in 1963 that the US introduced ZIP codes (Zone Improvement Plan) or what we call post codes, and every habitable area in the country was assigned a five-digit ZIP code.    At the same time they introduced the two letter abbreviations for the 50 states. 

 

I was surprised that this country's postal delivery service traces its roots to 1775 when the founding father Benjamin Franklin was appointed to serve as the country's first postmaster general.   Then in February 1792, President George Washington signed legislation creating the U.S. Post Office Department.

 

I then looked at how old our postal service was, and was surprised.  I imagined it started with the Penny Black in 1840, but actually  Henry VIII created the Royal Mail in 1516, and Elizabeth I appointed the first "Chief Postmaster".    In the reign of Charles I in 1635 the Royal Mail was made available to the public, with a regular system of post roads, houses and staff, and in 1661 Charles II appointed the first Postmaster General.   Then we had postal reforms in 1839-40, and the introduction of  our first stamp, the Penny Black.    So our postal service is a lot older than I thought it was.

 

In the news.................A new broom has been appointed to the prison from which the convicts escaped, and he hasn't wasted any time in sweeping it clean.  Henceforth there will be no Honour Block with  cookouts in inmates cells, or conjugal visits or sex with civilian employees in cupboards.

Also, once a week there will be an inspection of the cells to make sure no one is scraping away at the walls.
 

This must be going down with the inmates of that prison -who have just lost all their 'privileges' - like a rat sandwich.  They certainly can't send the convict back there - not that they were going to.  I think he will be going somewhere that is more like a prison, rather than the open prison from which he escaped,

I am told they don't have open prisons here, when I asked Bill he said that sounded more like a 'halfway house' where they go to be acclimated before going being released back into the world.

It is still intensely hot here.  This morning I went to the hospital, although I don't usually now on Wednesdays, but someone was away, and I don't mind.   

This evening I went to an Emmanuel member's patio party, and thought as I pulled up outside that it was really too hot to be outside on a patio, but I found everyone congregated indoors, and it was nice.   This afternoon I'd knocked up some shortbread for the take and share meal, which is what they do here.