Canada Day linked to Panama coffee history

The social Scene with Margot Thomas

Canadians, and friends from multiple countries will mark Canada Day,(Fete du Canada)  Friday July 1 at an evening  celebration organized by the CanadaPLUS Foundation  at the Miramar Intercontinental Hotel and will add a Panama coffee tasting session to the wining and dining.

Canada Day is the anniversary of the   1867, enactment of  the, British North America Act  which united three colonies into a single country called Canada  The anniversary,  originally called Dominion Day  was renamed in 1982 and is celebrated by “Canucks” around the world

The celebration of  Canada Day and Panama grown coffee may at first glance seem have little in common, but the connection between the two goes back to soon after Canada became a country and the  time when France was still working on the building of the canal. Canadian Frank Tedman was captain of a dredger when  in the early  1870s he led a group of 22 settlers to Chiriqui Boquete. Only seven of the original trekkers stayed but Tedman developed a successful coffee plantation, now the home of the Palo Alto brand.

His grandson, Frank Tedman, heads the company and his great grandson, married to a Canadian, and living in Montreal, is expanding the brand to the Canadian market and proudly telling the story of the‘family’s Canadian heritage on the  packaging.

Frank a supporter of the CanadaPLUS Foundation since its inception will be on hand to expand your knowledge and appreciation of coffee.

In Panama there will be music, dancing, a buffet, open wine bar and door prizes and the coffee sampling, including geisha  with a Canadian heritage link.

Celebrants   will also have the opportunity to meet Canadian ambassador Karine Asseline

The donation is $25 members, $30 non-members.

Reservations at 6619-6890, clubcanadaplus@gmail.com.

Over 50 percent of available tickets are already spoken for, so don’t miss the chance to raise a glass and a cup to Canada.

Proceeds will go to the funding of the annual Charity Carols by Candlelight Concert in aid of Hospital Santo Tomas and the Vision of Hope program for the blind.

Tickets for the upcoming Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre series  (July 11-13 will be available at the event.