It seems as if each generation of Canadians will be visited by the specter of Canadian Unity vs Québec nationalism. It’s is a fight that waxes and wanes, but never seems to end. Of course, this also brings up the argument that Québec is not the only population to deserve a special mention. And so it goes on.
So how about this:
Canada is a nation of many peoples and cultures – those that inhabited the land, those that founded the nation, those that make Canada what it is today, and those who will carry it forward. The strength of Canada is the recognition of its past, present and future. Canada is a celebration of cultures coming together with a goal of being a great nation, not for itself but for each other.
That is the country that I lived in for most of my life, and that is the country that I talk about when people ask me about where I’m from. It is the vision that I would hope to see spread over the world and to fellow Canadians.
As an interesting side note, many of the things that I attribute to being Canadian, and much of the basis of my national pride, comes from the years of Lester Pearson’s leadership. The country really needs someone to follow in those footsteps. In fact, I think that’s exactly what the world needs.
