Our much loved Queen has died and I have come to realize the ubiquity of the word Queen. Yes, that word is everywhere, in so many areas of our Canadian lives.

I have previously opined that the “the only thing that never changes is that things always change.”

On the very day our Queen Elizabeth II died, familiar traditions started to change. Respected lawyers in Canada have already changed the QC designation after their names to KC.

They were appointed by the Attorney General of Canada, for outstanding contributions to our legal profession

Hope they don’t get confused with the ’70s group KC and the Sunshine Band, who treated us to “That’s the Way (I Like It)” and “Shake Your Booty.”

And how about Freddie Mercury and Queen? He was born Farrokh Bulsara and chose the name Queen because it was very regal and obviously sounded splendid.

As an aside, as well as not being afraid to dress differently, Mercury had a five-octave range. If you haven’t seen the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” yet, now is the time.

Henceforth, new citizens in Canada will swear an oath of allegiance to the King.

And, the Queen’s Plate, held in June each year at Woodbine in Toronto, will be called the King’s Plate. It is the oldest continually run horse race in North America and will eventually change its name. But not today or tomorrow. (It was called the King’s Plate between 1901 and 1952.)

Queen Elizabeth II attended the Queen’s Plate four times. Hopefully, she did OK with her wagers and made some new friends along the rail and on the backstretch.

How about street names in Niagara? We coincidentally have both a Queen Street and a King Street in the Old Town, as do St. Catharines and Toronto and countless other Canadian cities and towns.

No need to change the street signs, it seems. Our major highway from Toronto to Fort Erie bears her name. Kinda weird, eh?

King’s Point condominiums and Queen’s Landing Hotel? Will their names be secure as the years roll by?

Over in Kingston, how about the highly respected Queen’s University? Just up the Niagara River, at the base of the escarpment, under Brock’s Monument, the sleepy village of Queenston is awash with history.

And how about the queue in front of the Cow’s ice cream shop? Will the queue be called a kew in the future, as changes roll out? I know, I have to control my ramblings and queries.

Many name changes will be mandated by our federal government in Ottawa and others will hopefully be at the discretion of provincial, regional and municipal governments.

Oh boy, I can envision the never-ending debates already as King Charles III struts his regal stuff. Are we going to love him, or just like him? For now, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, as he eases into his new job.

Should the owner of the now-under construction Dairy Queen downtown proactively change the store name to Dairy King? Just askin’.

We are so fortunate to live in Canada … in 2022.