What was once thought unthinkable is now becoming mainstream respectable, popping up in print and television media, and accepted as a topic that calls for public examination.

Where Sir John A. Macdonald once saw value in sheltering under England's umbrella in the infancy days of Canadian Confederation, mainly because of concern over the expansionary policies of United States legislators, that view of Canada's need to retain ties to Britain and its monarchy is long outdated.

Canada, in all but one respect, is a totally independent nation. It has its own Constitution, Parliament, Government, and Judiciary. It has its own treaty-making powers.

What it does not have is its own Head of State.

On September 27, 2005 the investiture ceremony of a new Governor General to represent the Monarch in Canada was viewed by millions on television, reported on radio, described by newspapers, and was the subject of comment by people everywhere throughout the land.

It was a joyous occasion. It was a wonderful spectacle. It was a glorious day of late September sunshine.

Not since the advent of Trudeau mania has one person captured the attention of the public as has Michaëlle Jean, the new holder of the office. Unknown to most Canadians, her personality infused a sense of a new beginning, a welcome break with stultified tradition, a hope that Canadians can take the next step on the road to becoming totally independent.

It will not, of course, be her doing. It will be the task of Canadians generally to decide. If, and it is a big if, they are given the chance to decide.

A remark by one of the television commentators at her investiture indicated that people are questioning the present situation, at least on an internal affairs basis. Craig Oliver pointed out that the choice of Michaëlle Jean to become Canada's new Governor-General was made by one person, the Prime Minister, and that Canadians at large had no say in the matter.

Next day, columnist Jeffrey Simpson, writing in The Globe and Mail, took the matter one step further, this time on an external basis. His opening sentence read:

With Michaëlle Jean's investiture as Canada's 27th Governor General yesterday, the country now has about five years, the normal term for the job, to prepare for cutting the institution's tie to Britain.

His final sentence read:

There are procedures elsewhere for ceremonial heads of state being selected. These, and suggestions that have already been made within Canada, all should be studied-perhaps, as in British Columbia, by a constituent assembly of citizens, with options placed before the country's citizens in a national vote.

Allowing Canadian citizens to vote and express their opinions! Revolutionary!

A national referendum? Horror of horrors!

Doesn't the man know that our political leaders know what is best for us?

Allowing all of us to tell them what we want could only lead to democracy, participatory democracy.

Seriously, which could be better for us-Charles and Camilla-or one of our own? To ask is to answer.

The Republic of Canada's time is nigh. It is the next step to take.

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