Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas
Canada is the homeland of equality, justice, and tolerance. Kim Campbell
Canada Day is coming, a day we celebrate with pride. This country of ours we’ve built together with those who were here, and have come later. We are here, and we aren’t perfect, but as long as we can discuss our imperfections and elect leaders with free and open elections, we will continue.
One of the things many people across the Western world appear to worry about is that they can’t discuss problems in their society that are considered an ism. We especially need to talk about the isms, about expecting things from some groups that we don’t expect from others. How much are we willing to have our society change to make other groups happy?
If we can’t talk, it will devolve into something else. The conversations might even get ugly, but if we don’t talk about issues important to us, and let them fester, and hard feelings develop between groups, how can that end well? If I want something that appears to take something away from you, how will you be happy? If we talk about it, debate it, and fight about it in the public sphere, and come to an agreement, then we can live in peace. If we don’t talk about problems arising in our society and the world for fear of offending someone, it will end worse, and it won’t be words hurting others, but violence.
In England, it looks like to keep the peace, the elite have tried to muzzle the common working-class Brits with hate speech laws, etc. It doesn’t look like it is working to me, and I don’t want to see that level of division come here. Different groups can live together in Canada if we all agree on Canadian laws and Canadian values. We don’t have to look the same, eat the same food, or follow the same religion, but we do have to live together without infringing on each other’s rights. Mutual respect, mutual responsibility, and mutual love for Canada are required.
Canada might not be a good fit for people who do not like Canadian Laws or Canadian values and want to impose their own on their part of society or all of society.
Is the Alberta referendum positive?. Talking about Alberta’s complaints might be a good idea. I grew up with sentiments like, “We pay the freight when we buy it, and we pay the freight when we sell it. The West always pays the freight.” Canadian elites, Eastern Canadian elites, have created this problem. Rightly or wrongly, the West believes they aren’t getting a fair shake. It’s coming to blows because they weren’t taken seriously, after all, what could the little Western Provinces do?
Canada is like an old cow. The West feeds it Ontario and Quebec milk it. And you can well imagine what it’s doing in the Maritimes. Tommy Douglas
Ignore concerns long enough, and you’ll see what they can do. If you ignore concerns by trying to make people think they are horrible people for even seeing an issue, let alone voicing it. Soon, you will have people who don’t care what you call them, and they will do more than use their voice.
How do we deal with the issues facing us? Not by pretending we don’t have problems. How do we address the disparity between the rich and poor, housing prices outpacing wages, and immigration outpacing opportunities? These aren’t the only problems facing Canada, but they are here, and if we want to continue as a country that people want to come to and live in, we have to make choices that are good for Canada and its people.
We are at a time in history when it seems the common people are the least catered to. Look at the Albania controversy: a protected island is now being sold to be developed as a playground for the rich and famous that the average Albanian will never be able to afford to visit.
Tourism brings in money, but it doesn’t always benefit the common people. We need to balance all the interests to keep Canada the great Canada it is, and the greater Canada it has the potential to be.
Canada Day is a day to reflect on where we came from, where we are going, and who gets a say in the decisions.
Happy Canada Day!
As a woman in Canada, I get to do whatever I want to do, and I’m used to that. I’m used to not having my government tell me my life is going to be restricted because I’m female. Deborah Ellis
It’s like Canada is the little brother to the United States and one day they are going to show the world they’re just as cool as their successful big brother. Dustin Milligan
The truth is, I’m someone coming from a spoiled society. – the worst thing we deal with in Canada is winter. Denis Velleneuve
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