Dateline: 04/26/01
The relevance of the monarchy has faded, but a royal visitor still pulls the crowds in Canada.
Prince Charles, wearing a green ribbon to show support for farmers in the United Kingdom, began his six-day Canadian tour in the same way as all British visitors these days, by stepping on a mat of disinfectant to reduce the threat of hoof and mouth disease.
Prince Charles in Ottawa, Canada
Thousands of cheering fans waved Canadian and British flags when the Prince arrived at the Terry Fox statue in Ottawa, and a boys' choir sang Consider Yourself at Home. Cheerful, friendly and gracious, the Prince of Wales greeted school children, pensioners and shoppers as he walked down Sparks Street to the National War Memorial. He received flowers, Girl Guide cookies and a pair of hand-knitted woolen socks in return.
Prince Charles in Saskatchewan and Yukon Canada
Similar scenes will likely play out as Prince Charles goes west to Saskatchewan and then up to the Yukon.
The original itinerary for the Saskatchewan portion of the tour had to be changed when federal officials requested that the Prince and his entourage avoid visiting farms, again because of the risk of spreading foot and mouth disease. The Prince will have opportunities to meet western farmers in other settings. The tour has also run into some accommodation problems as the result of a strike lockout and pickets at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina, where the Prince and his staff of 14 were scheduled to stay. The second choice of hotel, the Regina Inn, has labor problems too, but at the last minute the union has agreed to remove the picket line.
The theme of the Prince's tour is volunteerism, and in a speech at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, he thanked those who give time to their communities. "It is not about hype, it is about hope," he said. Of course, 20 members of the British press corps are following the prince's tour as he spreads this message.
