CEUD MÌLE FÀILTE
Welcome to the CGSNA - Eastern Canada Branch website.

Ted and Louise at Home

Thank you for visiting our website. To find out about the septs of Clan Gunn, and for a membership application form as well as for other information, please click here: www.clangunn.us


2010 promises to be quite interesting. After our initial participation in the Burns’ Night Dinner held at the Garrison Club in Old Quebec, last January 23rd, we are now planning for the upcoming Tartan Day on April 6th and we encourage you to celebrate this occasion by displaying your tartan if possible. We also encourage you to attend Scottish festivals in your region this summer and to participate with other CGSNA members at the Clan Gunn tent, if the opportunity arises. We look forward to greeting you at some of these events.
 

Pax Aye!
Ted and Louise Gunn
  Co-Commissioners Eastern Canada Branch -March 6th, 2010
Clan Gunn International Gathering and Homecoming Gathering - July 2009

The 16th triennial International Gathering of Clan Gunn, was held in Scotland last July and it was a major success. 2009 was a special year in Scotland since it marked the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the country’s national poet. During the year, numerous activities are scheduled but the main event was the Homecoming Gathering held in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park. It was the first time that Scotland hosted such a grand gathering of clans and Clan Chiefs during a highland games event. Consequently, the Clan Gunn Gathering started in Edinburgh instead of the usual start in Orkney.

Have a look at the following photos and see our article and more photos in the sections Activities 2009 and Scotland 2009.
The Clan Gunn delegation prior to leaving for the Clan Convention held in the Scottish Parliament, from left: Todd Wall, President of CGSNZ; Alan Robson, President of CGSUK; Commander Iain A. Gunn of Banniskirk; Edward (Ted) Gunn, Commissioner, Eastern Canada Branch of CGSNA; Richard (Rich) Gunn, President of CGSNA.
Photo courtesy of Todd Wall.
The 2009 Clan Gunn Gathering group photo taken during the July 31st reception at Swiney House, the home of Commander Iain and Aline (Bunty) Gunn, see them at right.
 
More members of the Scottish Parliaments visit Quebec City - April 2009

In early April, another delegation from the Scottish Parliament came for meetings with the Quebec Government and we were invited to meet them during a reception in the Salon Rouge of the Parliament building on April 7th.  The delegation was headed by Mr. Alex Fergusson MSP, Presiding Officer for the Scottish Parliament and Member for Galloway & Upper Nithsdale; he was accompanied by Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central; Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland; Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife; Tricia Marwick, MSP for Central Fife.
We therefore celebrated Tartan Day on the 7th. We had a lovely luncheon in the Officers' Mess of the Royal 22nd Regiment at the Quebec Citadel. Afterwards, we went to the Parliament building where we had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Fergusson (he will be chairing the Clan Convention in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament that marks the opening of the Homecoming Gathering on July 24, 2009) and the other members of the Scottish Parliament. It was a great opportunity for us to exchange views on various subjects and share common interests during a reception hosted by the Quebec Government. We had a good turnout from our community that included our local CGSNA members. Most of the people in our group were dressed in Scottish attire or were at least showing a tartan so it was a colorful display in the Salon Rouge of the National Assembly.
Members of the Scottish Parliament meet with Mrs. Fatima Houda-Pepin, MP of the Quebec Government. From left:  Sarah Boyack, MSP for Edinburgh Central; Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland; Alex Fergusson, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and MSP for Galloway & Upper Nithsdale; Fatima Houda-Pepin, Quebec Parliamentarian; Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife; Tricia Marwick, MSP for Central Fife. Photo by Louise Gunn
Members of the Scottish Parliaments visit Quebec City - November 2008
Four Members of the Scottish Parliament were in town on Monday, November 24th for a meeting with the Quebec Government and they asked to meet the local Scots. What a surprise for us that the delegation was headed by Jamie Stone, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross! We had met Mr. Stone at the Gala dinner of Clan Gunn International Gathering in July 2000. The other MSPs were Alisdair Allan, Murdo Fraser and Tom McCabe. They were accompanied by their secretary Margaret Neal.

A very informal reception was arranged at Morrin Center. After they toured this historical building, we just exchanged on various points of view. Mr. Stone told us that he would be at the Gala dinner in Thurso at the end of the gathering next summer. It will be a pleasure to meet again.
From left to right: Hamish Williamson, Tom McCabe, Alasdair Allan, Ann Cochrane, Jacques Mackay, Alan Stairs, Jamie Stone, Ted Gunn, France Cliche, director of Morrin Center, Louise Gunn, Rev. Stephen Hayes, Moira Hayes, Murdo Fraser, Sharon Little and piper Christian Haerink.
Winners of the 'Die Hard Clan 2008' at the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games
L to R - Louise and Edward (Ted) Gunn ( holding whisky decanter) with Festival President Bill Rowe and his wife Cheryl.
The weather in Fergus was so bad on August 9th & 10th that several clans chose not to come for this event or packed up and left early. This meant that the organizing committee was having trouble selecting the clan tent with the best presentation as most of the clans that remained were disorganized to say the least. Towards the end of the afternoon, as we were packing up during a break in the weather, we were surprised to have a delegation appear at our tent. We were notified that due to the unfortunate conditions, there would not be a 2008 award for the best tent but instead they had decided to present the award for ¨ Die Hard Clan 2008 ¨ and that we had been chosen. This award is a handsome whisky decanter that carries with it a condition. The winner is expected to have that decanter with him/her when next returning to a future festival and it is expected to contain a good single malt whisky for those who wish to partake of a wee dram. We were delighted with this honor and promised to be back another year to fulfill the condition.

Future Activities

  

Recent Contributions

The Tragedy the Paddle Steamer Montreal
By Louise B. Gunn

On June 26th 1857, there were about 400 people onboard the Montreal, most of them Scottish immigrants. They had arrived the day before at Quebec City and were on their way to Upper Canada. Soon after their departure, fire broke out onboard and tragedy struck. To read about the second biggest marine tragedy in Canadian waters, click here.

'Courtesy of Walter Lewis. Original in the Hamilton Public Library - Special Collections'
 

A celebration was held on June 7 th 2008 at Mount Hermon Ceremony to honor the men, women and institutions of Scottish origin that have contributed to the history and development of Quebec City. It was part of the celebrations for the 400 th anniversary of the foundation of the city. There was a special and very touching ceremony at the monument dedicated to the tragedy of the Montreal. Of the 253 victims, 179 are buried there. For more, see our section Activities 2008.

  Mann a Sept of Clan Gunn
 

Mann is one of the sept names associated with Clan Gunn, The name is derived from Magnus, the Earl of Orkney and Caithness who was killed by his cousin Haakon on the island of Egilsay in 1116. Magnus was a good man and after his death, his people prayed to him for special favors and he was soon called a ‘saint'. By 1137, his nephew Rognvald had him canonized and in his memory, he built a cathedral that still stands in Kirkwall today; it is knowned as the St. Magnus Cathedral. Magnus did not have any children but he had relatives. In the generations that followed, many were named Magnus in his honor. Gradually, the name took other forms: Magnusson, Mann, Main, Mains, Maness, Manson, Manus, MacMains and MacManus. Our local member Ann Cochrane is a descendant of the Reverend Alexander Mann, Presbyterian minister at Pakenham, Ontario, and she has prepared an article that will soon be posted on our website.