Queen helps CBC TV mark 50th anniversary
Queen Elizabeth visited the Toronto headquarters of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday night where she helped mark CBC TV's 50th anniversary by visiting exhibits and chatting with CBC staff and invited guests.
The Queen, who is touring Canada as part of her Golden Jubilee, looked relaxed and at ease as she and Prince Philip spent 30 minutes walking among the crowd, talking and examining photographs and other mementos of Canada's television broadcasting history.
For the public broadcaster it is the highlight of its year-long celebration marking half a century of CBC TV.
Hundreds of Torontonians gathered on Front St. West, in front of the CBC hoping for a glimpse of the royal entourage. Inside the Broadcast Centre the Queen, wearing a glittering turquoise ballgown and diamond-studded tiara, stopped, spoke and joked with a number of television pioneers including actor Gordon Pinsent, singing legend Juliette, singer Tommy Hunter, comedian Roger Abbott and veteran journalist Knowlton Nash.
Earlier, the Queen spent a hectic day visiting and lunching with animation students at Oakville's Sheridan College.
One student, Andrew Kim, showed the Queen a short video he had produced featuring Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, who later would become King Edward VII. After viewing the video the Queen shook Kim's hand and said "Thank you. That's very kind." Kim said the experience was "exciting."
Later, during a lunch with 25 students and dignitaries including Ontario Premier Ernie Eves and federal Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, the premier said a $3,500 provincial scholarship for high school graduates would be renamed in the Queen's honour. Eves also took the opportunity to thank the monarch for taking the time to visit Ontario during her Jubilee year.
The Queen also visited Hamilton, Ont., where as colonel-in-chief of the regiment, she presented the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with new regimental colours, during a gala music-filled event at the city's Copps Coliseum.
The ceremony was the biggest event of the day. More than 200 serving members of the regiment were on parade, along with the full regimental band and the band of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
Another 3,000 veterans, former members of the regiment and guests were in the audience to watch the ceremony.
The Argyll and Sutherland ceremonial colours, or regimental flags, were last replaced 43 years ago. At that time they were also handed over by Queen Elizabeth who had only been on the throne for seven years.
The Queen and Prince Philip wrapped their day by attending a gala concert at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall.