Today we celebrate the birthday of our country – 159 years old. How do you think she’s holding up? She might not be as nimble as she was 50 years ago, but as far as I’m concerned, she looks as beautiful as ever!! She just gets better with age.
We love our country, but what is Canada all about? Have we figured it out in 159 years? Marshal McLuhan once said, “Canada is the only country in the world that knows how to live without an identity”. Is that true?
The art of defining Canada is one that will never end. You could say our search for a national identity is a part of our national identity. Sometimes we are defined by our geography (“I’m a western Canadian”, “I’m a Maritimer”). Sometimes by our linguistic divides (“je suis franco-canadien”). Sometimes we define ourselves by our games and pastimes (we ARE the #1 hockey nation on earth), or by the small little differences that separate us from our neighbours (“what do you mean Canadians buy milk in a bag?”).
How do you define Canada?
Let’s celebrate for a moment how others have defined our nation:
“Canada is my home. It is my deepest wish, my wildest dream, the only prayer and the only temple I’m ever gonna need.” (Richard Wagamese; Ojibwe writer)
“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think is right, free to oppose what I think is wrong, and free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all humankind” (John Diefenbaker; Canadian PM)
“Every Canadian has a complicated relationship with the United State, whereas Americans think of Canada as the place where the weather comes from” (Margaret Atwood; author)
“Living in China has made me appreciate my own country, with its tiny, ethnically diverse population of unassuming donut-eaters” (Jan Wong; author)
“When I’m in Canada, I feel this is what the world should be like” (Jane Fonda; actor)
“I love Canada. It’s a wonderful political act of faith that exists atop a breathtakingly beautiful land.” (Yann Martel – author)
Whatever Canada means to you, enjoy this day and this week of celebration. Wear red. Say “eh”. Eat an apple fritter. Sip on a Molson Canadian on a dock while watching the loons float by. Cheer on Canada at the World Cup.
As far as I’m concerned Canada does have an identity. It is called “home”. And aren’t we lucky to call it that?
