History of a Levee

History

The word levée (from French, originally fem. pp. of lever "to raise") originated in the Levée du Soleil (Rising of the Sun) of King Louis XIV (1643–1715). It was his custom to receive his male subjects in his bedchamber just after arising, a practice that subsequently spread throughout Europe.
In the 18th century the levée in Great Britain and Ireland became a formal court reception given by the sovereign or his/her representative in the forenoon or early afternoon. In the New World colonies the levée was held by the governor acting on behalf of the monarch. Only men were received at these events.
It was in Canada that the levée became associated with New Year's Day. The fur traders had the tradition of paying their respects to the master of the fort (their government representative) on New Year's Day. This custom was adopted by the governor general and lieutenant governors for their levées.
The first recorded levée in Canada was held on January 1, 1646, in the Chateau St. Louis by Charles Huault de Montmagny, Governor of New France from 1636 to 1648. In addition to wishing a happy new year to the citizens the governor informed guests of significant events in France as well as the state of affairs within the colony. In turn, the settlers were expected to renew their pledges of allegiance to the Crown.
The levée tradition was continued by British colonial governors in Canada and subsequently by both the governor general and lieutenant governors.[1] It continues to the present day.
As mentioned, the levée was historically a male preserve but during World War II levées were attended by female officers of the armed forces. Since then levées have been open to both women and men.

Present day

Over the years the levée has become almost solely a Canadian observance.
Today, levées are the receptions (usually, but not necessarily, on New Year's Day) held by the governor general, the lieutenant governors of the provinces, the military and others, to mark the start of another year and to provide an opportunity for the public to pay their respects.
Most levées may be attended by any citizen, including children.[2][3] Attending the lieutenant governor's levée is an annual ritual for some families.
Today the levée has evolved from the earlier, more boisterous party into a more sedate and informal one. It is an occasion to call upon representatives of the monarch, military and municipal governments and to exchange New Year's greetings and best wishes for the new year, to renew old acquaintances and to meet new friends. It is also an opportunity to reflect upon the events of the past year and to welcome the opportunities of the New Year.  

Christmas Parades, Morrisburg, Gananoque

Saturday December 1, 2012

When I woke up this morning and it was –8ºC.  I knew we were in for a cold day. Despite the temptation to crawl back into bed, I “soldiered on”, dressed in many layers and headed for the breakfast rendezvous enroute to Morrisburg for their Christmas Parade. A few of us have established a tradition to partake of a hearty hot breakfast in order to ward off the cold. We are not sure that it makes any difference but it gives us an opportunity to query each other as “why are we doing this?” A sanity check if you will. Only a few braved the cold and the early morning drive, but we got our bitching out of the way and headed for the parade.

Yes it had warmed up in Morrisburg, to –6ºC. We got dressed inside the Fire Hall and at 11:00am, 11 redcoats stepped off to lead the parade. 8 rifles and 3 colour party under the command of C Sgt. Bruno, Les from Montreal joined us. We followed the police car through the streets of Morrisburg, passing crowds that WE often outnumbered. After the parade, 4 of us paid a quick visit to the Retirement Home on the route to greet those that could not make it out. The resident ladies, with lustful eyes, wanted to keep John R, but Carl distracted them with a few tunes, and we escaped unharmed.

By evening it had warmed up to –2ºC in Gananoque, and felt so balmy, we were thinking of removing our tunics as not to overheat :-). 12 weather-hardened members, 8 rifles and 4 colour party put on a fiery display to thrill the crowds on King St. C Sgt Bruno and Sgt Lindsay provided great leadership, advancing us by wings down the street. Another traditional well deserved warm up was held at Moroni’s. I heard that all Fenians have been flushed from the premises.
  

Saturday November 24, 2012

Brockville Christmas Parade

Long underwear was the unseen uniform of the day. The temperature hovered just above zero, the sun peaked through occasionally, but the north wind was deadly. We were mostly protected by the buildings along King St, but at every intersection came the reminder of the cold.

Our turnout was impressive, 19 members on parade. Leadership was delegated to Sgt Lindsay who did a great job of "herding the cats" down King St. SSgt Mike was awarded the day, off as he was enjoying a well deserved vacation in Florida. He was obviously warmer than we were. We will get you. The volleys were good and once again no ducks were harmed in the process. The fifing and drumming was great and kept us in pace. The colour party carried the colours proudly. Mike, you would have been proud of the group! Thanks to Denis and Tom M for shuttling us back and forth. We could not have done it without you.

The spectators were sparse. A comment on the cold, I suspect. The young kids were not warming their ears - they have learned what comes next as we halt in front of them.

Terry was singled out (in photo) for his excellent drill skills and will be promoted to Captain next week :-). Thanks Paul & Laura M for hosting our annual post-parade get-together. I think I have finally warmed up and ready for next Saturday's two parades.

Diamond Jubilee Garden Party

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Fort Henry 2009

Over the years, The Brockville Infantry Company (1862) has worked closely with Fort Henry. In 2009, in recognition of this association, the Company was presented with the keys to the Fort. If the Fenians attack, we are only a "short drive" away.