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Orangeism In Canada
The annual celebrations that are held each
July are nearly upon us, and with it come the many demonstrations held
throughout Northern Ireland. This
year the local lodges from Lisburn will be in their home city and while those
who regularly spectate will no doubt enjoy such a day there will probably be
many who do not realise how large the orange Order actually is, and how many
countries are represented.
Traditionally countries that were members of the
commonwealth have always had lodges based in those countries, embracing as
members those from very diverse and untypical backgrounds.
Countries such as Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and the
USA have many lodges, which regularly meet and very strongly uphold the
principles of Orangeism that many have forgotten about as the perception of the
Orange Order has been tainted by the very slick PR machine of republicanism.
Canada in particular has always until recently been a very strong Orange country
owing to the many of Ulster Scots who emigrated from these shores.
As recently as the late 1970s the 12th July
Toronto marches, which were major events a generation ago, would regularly
feature the presence of the city’s Mayor, who would quite often be an
Orangeman himself. Indeed when the
then mayor David Crombie and his city officials decided to boycott the 1970
parade, one columnist for the Toronto Sun, the main newspaper labeled it as “….insulting.
Like it or not these people have made a tremendous contribution in settling
Canada, in welding the parts of it together into one nation.”
There are many books and articles that have been penned
relating to this matter, one such author William Smyth, claimed that its appeal
was not in its anti-Catholicism as it did not require Catholics to stimulate its
growth, Orangeism was strong where the Protestant Irish were strong and that
strength was not dependent upon the presence of a local Catholic community. In
Toronto a good two thirds of the Order in 1894 belonged to the working class,
and while there were many from the business community and professional groups,
senor positions were never dominated by one class or the other.
They provided a healthy balance and represented a good cross section of
society. Others not from Irish backgrounds were never refused
admittance, and ethnics such as English fishermen of Newfoundland, Scottish
Miners and farmers in Nove Scotia and Ontario, German Farmers in Quebeca and
even Mohawk Indians (Who recently paraded in Belfast).
Other academics have commented upon the success of the
Order in Canada and noted how excellent leadership skills obtained from each
lodge helped members in their duties as Shop Stewards, etc which no doubt helped
all workers. While it has to be
said that the appeal of the Orange Order has dwindled heavily over the last two
generations many would claim this to be a great loss to the overall culture of
Canada.