I see red people

>> Canadian loonies show up for the Canada Loves NY rally

by SARAH MUSGRAVE

The street outside the Roseland Ballroom in midtown Manhattan is a sea of red. It's Saturday afternoon and the Canadians are here to save the day. Like sycophantic superheroes, some wear the Canadian flag like a cape. Others sport hockey jerseys, maple leaf toques or face paint. In a show of patriotism for another country, we've turned out en masse with our virtually worthless money to assure New Yorkers that we'll do what we can to save their economy.

This is the Canada Loves NY rally, the centrepiece of a heavily promoted weekend designed to bring tourist dollars to the city in the aftermath of the attack on the World Trade Center. Celebrities like Alan Thicke, Jason Priestley and Wayne Gretzky have told us to be here from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, and we haven't let our fellow countrymen down. No matter that most of the people in the TV ads love NY so much they've moved to the States to make American dollars or that, with the exception of the Prime Minister, most of them haven't bothered to show up for the event.

"I'll never travel again without wearing Canadian colours," a man called Chris tells me. He's decked out in white pants and a white jacket with a fiery maple leaf rising from the waistline. Thanks to this eye-catching outfit, he wound up meeting the actor who plays Pepper in the Broadway play Mamma Mia. "He came right up and introduced himself because he knew I was Canadian too."

An apple a day

The Roseland is soon filled to its 3,400 capacity, and those who aren't lucky enough to get in have been herded to a mobile big screen on 53rd street. Inside, we're told that there are 20,000 Canadians in attendance. Our willingness to show up for this event seems to have surprised even ourselves.

"I really didn't think there'd be so many people," muses Eric, a young guy from Montreal who works at the Canadian Consulate in NYC. He's holding an enormous green apple with a red maple leaf sticking out of the stem. It's destined to be a present for the city, one of those gifts they'll undoubtedly dust off when we come to visit.

"This isn't what I expected," comments another transplanted Montrealer named Liz, over the Acadian music emanating from the stage. "I thought it would be more like a presentation. I definitely didn't think it would be a party."

Adam, a former Torontonian, says he didn't expect anyone to show up. He's wearing a black T-shirt with an iron-on that reads "Canada kicks ass." "It wasn't promoted here at all. If I hadn't gone home to Toronto last weekend I wouldn't even have heard about it." I leave him watching some homegrown product on stage. "This is amazing, I've never seen Cirque du Soleil before," he says. "They're out of control," his friend Pat agrees.

No beer, lots of irony

"I want a beer. Do you have beer? Mol-son. Mol-son Ex?" asks a man at the bar, enunciating carefully as though in a foreign land. "Just water, juice or soda," replies the humourless bartender. The man looks shocked, then skulks off.

Moments later, another customer balks when she's told that a glass of cranberry juice will set her back $4 (U.S.). "Do you know how much that is in Canadian dollars?" she wonders aloud. The bartender shrugs. She orders one anyway and he rings it up on a cash register that has a little Canadian flag on it.

On stage, emcee Pamela Wallin is telling us that "Canada Loves New York" appeared on the jumbotron screen in Times Square. "Yay, jumbotron!" roars the crowd. She goes on to say that since September 11, the Empire State building has been lit up in red, white and blue. "But last night," she positively gushes, "it was lit up in red and white!" The audience is thrilled--someone turned off the blue lights for a few hours!

A woman named Nancy turns to me. "This makes me so proud to be a Canadian," she gloats. "When I was here for three weeks I didn't see a Canadian flag anywhere. Well, maybe one. But the turnout here is spectacular and it shows the whole world that we are a compassionate and caring nation."

A message to you, Rudy

The audience goes nuts when Wallin introduces outgoing mayor Rudolph Giuliani, chanting "Rudy! Rudy!" so loudly that when she mentions that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien is also in the house, many people don't even hear her.

"This is a really overwhelming response on behalf of the people of Canada and the Prime Minister," Guiliani notes. "You asked for it, Rudy!" hollers an enthusiastic heckler.

"Thank you for coming here today and I encourage you to spend every single penny you have," Giuliani says with a chuckle. The audience chuckles too and breaks into cheers again. His Worship seizes the moment to plug the city's attractions, adding that the Canada Loves New York weekend is not only a chance for Canadians to show their fellowship, but it is "also a chance for Canadians to enjoy the many restaurants, museums, theatres, sporting events, shopping and other cultural events."

There's more thanking, complimenting and gift giving. Someone reads a telegram from the President, full of his trademark haiku-like platitudes. Chrétien makes a speech about how no one will ever forget 9-11. "We have come to the city that never sleeps to let you know that our solidarity with you will never end, it has no limits." In return, he gets an eagle tchotchke for his knickknack shelf because "eagles have no borders." Giuliani gets a framed poster by Charles Pachter, who has combined art and opportunism with a painting of the maple leaf and the stars and stripes blowing in the wind from, get this, the same flag pole!

Our firemen give their firemen cheques for $100,000, which makes for very touching moments even if there is no mention of whether they're in Canadian or U.S. funds. We also give them a new firefighters support vehicle with Canada Loves NY emblazoned on it. "Forever," adds the presenter.

Je me souvenir

The rest of us come away with some loot too. Those with ID proving they're Canadian are given: a 24-hour unlimited subway card, lapel pin, red and white Roots baseball cap with Canada loves NY printed on it which everyone dons without shame, mini Canadian flag and American flag, bottle of water, small heart made of red felt, and a CD of a cheesy song called "Eye for an Eye." Those who stay to the very end get the Pachter poster as well.

Of course, there is also free entertainment. Murray McLaughlin dedicates an original song called "Morning After Blues" to Giuliani. "Got to laugh again, got to find a way, got to light the lights and sing and dance the night away," he sings as the audience wipes their tears.

The festivities are over when Blue Rodeo finishes up its set with some crowd-pleasing references to Lake Ontario. The Canadians flock onto Broadway like crimson geese, clutching their posters and their little flags. Soon the red Roots caps fade into the crowd, where everyone except other Canucks pretty much ignore them and it really does seem like New York is getting back to normal. Blame Canada.