'It is very good to be home'

There are plenty of signs that summer has finally arrived in Bay St. George. The sun is shining (most days) from early in the morning and late into the evening. The air is full of exciting smells - like freshly mowed grass and food sizzling on the grill. Children can be seen running here and there, free from the rigours of school and homework.

But there's another surefire way to know it's summer - the influx of former residents making their way back home for a holiday.

Just a glimpse down any town's main road will showcase vehicles with out-of-province licence plates, being driven by folks with very familiar faces. Hugs and screams of delight abound as old friends run into each other at the grocery store, coffee shop, or wherever people like to meet.

Yes folks, there really is no place like home.

This sentiment was echoed on a national scale last week, when Queen Elizabeth, along with the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived in Nova Scotia for a nine-day tour of Canada.

"Prince Philip and I are very glad to have returned to Nova Scotia today to begin this tour of Canada, my 22nd visit as Queen of Canada," said the Queen in her address to the Prime Minister and all Canadians.

"My mother once said that this country felt like a home away from home for The Queen of Canada. Prime Minister, I am pleased to report that it still does and I am delighted to be back amongst you all."

As she continued her speech, she talked about how Canada was built by an endevouring group of people, who are admired all over the world.

"I am fortunate to have been a witness to many of the developments and accomplishments of modern Canada," she said. "As Queen of Canada for nearly six decades, my pride in this country remains undimmed. Thank you again for your welcome. It is very good to be home."

For those that don't know, Queen Elizabeth is the official head of 16 states that make up the Commonwealth - Canada being among that group. While the role is largely ceremonial, she carries constitutional duties, and is represented nationally by the governor general and each province's lieutenant governor.

Just think of the changes the Queen has witnessed since ascending the throne in 1952. Back then, radio was one of the most important forms of entertainment and communication. Then came the television revolution and now we're immersed in the Internet age. And that's just one aspect of our constantly evolving culture.

What does she do for us, some of you may be wondering. Well, the Queen provides a sense of stability to our government. How many countries outside the Commonwealth can boast a figurehead that's been in place for more than 50 years? While governments may come and go, at least we can take some assurance that our head of state provides a continuity unaffected by partisan politics.

Likewise, the Queen helps provide Canadians a sense of common identity. Having a person who spends most of her life in one country might seem like an odd choice for bringing people in another country together, but it does seem to work.

The Queen may live in Great Britain, she's easily one of the best-travelled people in this country. There's a map on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's news website which pinpoints all the areas of Canada the Queen has visited during her reign, and well, she has likely seen far more places in this country (and met more people) than most of us ever will. If anybody can speak first-hand about Canadian accomplishments and achievements, the Queen would be it.

And just look at the number of citizens who came out to witness the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during their most recent visit to Canada. How many other times does one see young and old, from all different sorts of ethnicities and backgrounds, coming together in such a civilized and jovial manner?

Even if we're not bound to Great Britain like we once were, the Queen helps provide us with a sense of where we've been and how much we continue to grow as Canadians.