Lawrence Cannon has a past

The Honorable Lawrence Cannon has been making the news quite a bit in Harper government lately. With Obama in downtown Canada today, all the ministers are jonesing for camera time. Tell me that Harper isn't feeling a little under-appreciated when a president of a foreign country is getting more attention and praise than he ever did.

Dad and Cannon used to run in the same group of friends growing up in Quebec city. He told me a few stories about his friends and the things they used to get up to, hanging with the anglo kids in the city. But the one I'll never forget was when Dad and his friends swung by Cannon's mother's house to pick him up. As Cannon ran out to the car, his mother poked her head out and said "Have good day with your friends Pussy!"

Dad and the others turned to Cannon incredulous, while he squirmed in his seat. "It's the nickname she calls me at home. Please guys, don't tell anyone." So of course, Pussy Cannon became his nickname inside and outside his house.

As for me, some 50 years later, I'm just biding my time to be present at some press conference somewhere, waiting for the honorable Lawrence Cannon to step out so I can jump up and shout "Hi Pussy Cannon!"

Stunned, the honorable Lawrence Cannon will look at me, white as a sheet, and say "Where-- where did you hear that name?"

"My father told it to me. I'm Reid Hickey's son."

"Oh no," he'll stammer. "Ooooohhh nooooo....."