'The Celtic Lion is Now Awake'
Says Scottish Minister
By MAURA McCAY
VANCOUVER - There was a warm welcome at the Pan Pacific Hotel on October 18 for the first government minister from the new Scottish Executive in Edinburgh to visit Western Canada.
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JIM MATHER the Scottish Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism.
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Jim Mather, the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, was the keynote speaker at a private dinner hosted by Martin Cronin, the British Consul-General, and Dick Mungin, CEO of the Scotland Fund.
The event brought together key players in the Scots Canadian business, culture and civic communities in Vancouver. Mather spoke with passion about a new vision for Scotland where Scots both at home and abroad will have an opportunity to contribute to the future of their homeland.
Jim Mather's own political awakening began after nearly losing his life. Coming from a business background, he worked with some of the biggest international corporations, including Seagrams and IBM, before opening a Computerland franchise in Scotland.
It was only after a car accident where when he drove into the back of a lorry and broke his back that he had an extended opportunity to reconsider his life.
During this period, he made a decision to enter politics to help bring about a change in a Scotland stymied with no economic powers and being allocated a housekeeping allowance from Westminster.
Mather now declared while Ireland had established a lead in connecting with its diaspora, there is a new message resounding in the land, and that is: The Celtic Lion has awoken in Scotland.
Earlier that day prior to the dinner, I met with Minister Jim Mather at the British Consulate for an interview with The Celtic Connection.
He said one the most important objectives identified by the new government led by the Scottish National Party is to reach out and connect with Scots abroad. Despite a gap of generations between the Homeland and the emigrant, that connection remains strong.
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JJIM MATHER was welcomed by Martin Cronin the British Consul General at the British Consulate in Vancouver. Mather is the first Scottish minister to visit western Canada since the new Scottish Parliament was convened in 1999.
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In fact, Mather remarked that in the United States, 50 percent more Americans have begun to classify themselves as Scots-American in the past 10 years than previously. He attributes this growth to a number of reasons, including the Mel Gibson film Braveheart and the annual Tartan Week celebration which has become a North American phenomena.
In Canada, arguably there are parts of the country which have become custodians of Scottish culture, more than many parts of Scotland, and as a result have much to offer the ancient homeland.
Jim Mather said, "Scotland needs to make a joint venture of its future with the Scots abroad, and we have a great future ahead of us.
"What has changed in Scotland is that in May this year we had an election. That election was a photo finish between ourselves and the Labour party. The Scottish National Party has 47 seats against 46, which means we are now running a minority administration, but one which is looking to govern Scotland very much along the lines of what we are seeing here on our visit to British Columbia and Alberta.
"This means that we are trying to grow the economy because for the past 30 or 40 years, Scotland has been growing at a very low rate. The population rate has been flat and there has been no incentive to create a good effective government.
"Scotland needs more economic power and since the election Scotland is a changing place. It's the will of the Scottish people and that's why the diaspora is so important.
"Every Scots-Canadian and Scots-American who comes to Scotland who understands the importance of managing their own economy and who passes that message on to Scotland, so much the better.
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GORDON GIBBONS, Minister Jim Mather, Ian Davidson, and Susan McAlevy
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"The prosperity that we have seen here in Canada in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto emanates from managing your own economy. That's the message that we need to bring back to Scotland."
The benefits of connecting with the diaspora go well beyond cultural development and understanding. The Minister said using the Irish experience, one major by-product has been economic development. This has included more two-way trade with people investing in each other's countries, more joint venturing, reaching new customers and new suppliers.
Of course, another aspect of engaging with the diaspora in a more meaningful way is the growth in tourism.
One major undertaking to help make this connection is Homecoming 2009 and other projects underway to welcome the diaspora home.
Mather said, "there are a huge array of events being prepared with local communities becoming involved, Clan societies, major attractions such as Edinburgh Castle and Sterling Castle.
"Events Scotland which is running the Homecoming is beginning to gear up and recognize the huge opportunity this is to get a message out worldwide through the diaspora that Scotland is on the move and Scotland is open for business.
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ANGUS MacPHERSON, Wilma Paton, Donelle MacKenzie, and Jack Lee (Jack Lee is the Pipe Sergeant and co-founder of the SFU Pipe Band, GM of the RMM Pipe Band, and championship solo piper winner of the Gold Medal at Oban, the Silver Star, and the coveted Glen Fiddich Championship.)
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"There is a new energy in Scotland and a pipeline of new projects and developments coming through and Scots-Canadians and Scots-Americans have a role to play in that process."
Mather spoke about one wonderful episode which took place earlier this year when four U.S. Congressmen travelled to Scotland on a fact-finding mission. He said, "we took three of them to Iona on a warm day in August. It was misty and magical and they had a great day.
"One of them, however, decided to go to the island of Lismore, which is closer to Oban. He visited the church there where his great-great-grandfather was married in 1820 and retook his wedding vows again after 25 years.
"This was Congressman Mike McIntyre from North Carolina. When he came back to the restaurant in Oban that night, we sat him down with Councillor Duncan McIntyre whose great-great-grandfather had left Lismore in 1820, so they were able to make the connection after all these years and find common roots. It think that's the exciting thing about it."
Another major project underway is the new Visitor Centre now under construction at the site of the 1746 Battle of Culloden. This event is of major importance to Scots both at home and abroad. It shaped the course of Scottish history afterwards, leading to a massive migration of Scots to the New World.
Jim Mather said, "I think what's happening now is we're beginning to really understand what we have as a birthright and the need to bring it up-to-date, to make it more accessible and to make it more understandable.
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STEVE and Lil McVittie of the Celtic Treasure Chest with Ron Sutherland of the Simon Fraser University Centre for Scottish Studies.
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" We need to get the message across to understand just what happened there not only for new generations of young Scots, but also for new generations of the Scottish diaspora.
"The key fundamental there was a Jacobite Highland army fighting a Hanoverian army of Lowland Scots and English troops who were defeated after a fantastically evocative campaign after which many of them came to North America.
"In the U.S. many of them picked the wrong side, having been defeated by the Hanoverian army in the first place, and hence found themselves up here in Canada.
"It is a period which is still very vivid in Scotland, whether you're at the site of the Battle of Culloden or across at the west coast where Bonnie Prince Charlie had a six or seven months travail over the Scottish hills.
"The great part about that part of the world is that you're covering the same ground that is unchanged from when Bonnie Prince Charlie was there. It strikes a big chord and there is so much good literature about that same period....much of it written in North America.
"There is something wonderful about engaging the diaspora in helping round out our understanding of our past."
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STUART HONEYMAN, Aileen Honeyman, and Sandy Caruth
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