The sun is shining. The sky is cerulean blue. We have been blessed with an absolutely beautiful day to celebrate Canada Day.
On 1 July 1867, Canadians in Saint John, New Brunswick were awakened at 4:00 a.m. to the sound of a 21-gun salute. At 6:00 a.m. guns were fired from Fort Henry in Kingston. Canadians were celebrating the formation of their new country, Canada. In Montreal people heard the official words read:
“...dated at Windsor Castle on the 22nd of May, in the year of our Lord 1867, Her Most Gracious Majesty did ordain, declare, and command, that on and after the 1st day of July, 1867, the Provinces of Canada [Ontario and Quebec], Nova Scotia and New Brunswick should form and be one Dominion under the name of Canada, ...” ["Canada Day – How It Was Then”, Images of Canada http://www.imagescanada.ca/r1-250-e.html#b , accessed June 26, 2008.]
And thus began the yearly tradition of celebrating our great county, Canada
So what defines Canada today? A new Ipsos Reid poll surveyed Canadians across the country and lists the 101 Things That Define Canada. The top five are: the Maple Leaf, hockey, Canadian Flag, beaver and Canadarm. Tim Horton's was #58 and Canadian beer was #90.
Well, my thoughts about Canada are this: I love the history of this country. I do not always agree with the way things are changing these days. Sure, there is a lot to complain about: taxes, long waits at hospitals, and our welfare system. But the fact of the matter is most of us really don't have anything to complain about. Most of us live in nice houses, have clean drinking water and can go to the grocery store just about anytime to purchase food. No one is bashing in our doors in the middle of the night and killing family members because we disagree with the government. I don't have to worry about how I'm going to feed my children their next meal. We all go to bed at night in a comfortable bed in a heated/air conditioned house.
So am I proud to be Canadian? Most days, I am.
