I reluctantly admit that I find something quite funny

In Canada, this weekend is a long weekend. English Canada calls Monday Victoria Day, "a federal Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday before or on 24 May, in honour of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday"; French Canada calls Monday the Journée nationale des patriotes "to underline the importance of the struggle of the patriots of 1837– 1838 for the national recognition of our people, for its political liberty and to obtain a democratic system of government."

I will draw a polite veil over Canadian colonial history, the Quiet Revolution, tensions between French and English Canada, etc (I was European-sneery at the idea of Canadian history; now I find it more than moderately interesting, surprisingly), but suffice to say that the fact that Queenie's fizzogg is on the Canadian $20 dollar bill and all its change (what with it being a Commonwealth country an' all) makes little enough sense (to me) in English Canada; in French Canada it is entirely bonkers, like having Charles Aznavour smirking on a five pound note.  (I can't imagine that a Golden Jubilee commemorative tankard graces the display cabinets of many French Canadian 'homes', let's put it that way.)

Anyroad up, I was having a bit of a walk today, what with the weather here being very lovely an' all, and what with my leg being stronger after a visit to the tiny physiotherapist who puts electric pulses on my swollen bits, when I saw a crowd gathered outside a bit of McGill. McGill is a (very fine) English-speaking university in a Francophone city, and images of Canada's British Colonial past sneak in here and there, including the moderately-sized statue of Queen Victoria outside McGill's music school.* The crowd was looking at this:

Whatever blah blah about Sex and the City, but taking the piss out of Queen Victoria in Montreal on Victoria Day? I laughed my little monkey face off.


* The only time anyone ever talks about the Canadian citizenship ceremony amongst my group of Canadian friends is to relate yet another story about French people who have moved to Quebec having to swear allegiance to the Queen of England. To be fair, it is quite funny.