After reading Syncrodox Sez’s article about the naming of a mountain after the Rt. Honourable Pierre Elliot Trudeau, I took it up on myself to do a bit of research on the naming of mountains in Canada after our illustrious leaders.
I did find some interesting facts out though.
1) Wilfred Laurier has 3 (count ’em) mountains named after him.
2) John Diefenbaker has no mountain named after him.
3) Chretien tried having the tallest mountain in Canada named after Trudeau shortly after his death in 2000. The locals around Mount Logan protested hard, and were thankfully, successful in blocking the naming.
4) The average height above sea level of Tory Prime Minister peaks is 3066.25 metres, and the average height above sea level of Grit Prime Minister peaks is 2736.4 metres (when counting all of Laurier’s peaks) and 3004.8 (when counting only Laurier’s tallest peak)
5) The average prominence of Tory Prime Minister peaks is 396.25 metres, and the average prominence of Grit Prime Minister peaks is 825.7 metres (when counting all of Laurier’s peaks) and 812.2 metres (when counting only Laurier’s tallest peak)
A grid showing these features can be seen below (click to enlarge)
I guess the purpose of all this was to point out that I am not upset that Trudeau now has a mountain. But I am now thinking that Diefenbaker deserves a mountain of his own. Why has he been overlooked? Whether or not he was a popular PM, or whether or not he was a long standing PM should also not matter. The man lead our nation and deserves his place in Canadian geographical history with the rest.
Diefenbaker has been Officially Screwed!!
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Perhaps we can rename a psychiatric hospital after him as Diefenbaker was a fecking loon. He once said he had a vision of Canada that inspired him to lead. Yeah, I bet they weren’t the only visions he had.
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Can’t let this one go. IMO, John Diefenbaker was the greatest Canadian in modern times. A lawyer who was a strong advocate for the rights of the individual, his Conservative government introduced the Canadian Bill of Rights, precursor to the current Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Diefenbaker
Obviously Omar, you are thinking of Mackenzie King, a fine Liberal who spoke to his dead mother via his dog.
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Hey man, I wouldn’t expect you to let it go….
I’ve got no problem with renaming the R.O. after King. I agree with Diefenbaker’s tireless fight for individual rights and his love of this country, but c’mon, he was crazy as a bag-of-hammers! All one needed to do was look at his eyes. Them eyes were screamin’, “medication!”
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I think the Sydney Tar Ponds should be renamed the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Tar Ponds as a reflection of his legacy to Canada… a stinking, filthy hazard which defies most, if not all, attempts at clean up; a virtual black hole of a moneypit. Just like Trudeau’s political legacy.
Omar, don’t you find it ironic to be judging Diefenbaker on his physical appearance when Chretien was your main man for more than a decade?
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Pierre Trudeau: Son of Quebec, father of Canada.
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Since Quebec is but a component of Canada, does that mean Trudeau was like that old country song “I’m My Own Grandpa” or what?
I know many liberals worship Trudeau for bringing socialism to Canada. How appropriate that we’re discussing this on a blog called “Officially Screwed”!!