On Being Canadian
On Canada Day this year I was in Niagara Falls. At night as Canadians from all over this great land celebrated, I watched as fireworks went off over Horseshoe Falls. Canada at 140 has much to celebrate.
It is easy when you live in a peaceful wealthy country to revel in what you have and what the rest of the world envies. However it is a bit of folly to bask in it versus where others are in this world. Other countries have their liberties, freedoms and good points too. As Canadians sometimes we fall in the trap that being a citizen in this country makes us morally superior to almost anybody else. Not true my friends. We are what we are so let’s keeping working on this country to make it better.
I’ve said it many times. I’ve always taken a bit for granted being Canadian. That’s until I left this country and came back after a long absence. When I saw that Canadian flag flying, it looked a little bit different. It also looked a little bit better. You had a feeling inside which cannot be described. You simply feel it, that feeling of what a Canadian really is.
Of course you might make the argument that the real work of defining Canada was done in places like Lundy’s Lane, Chrysler’s Farm, Vimy Ridge, Ypres, Dieppe and an assortment of other places. I concur. I wasn’t there. However, I have a deep appreciation for those who went before me. Their sacrifice gave me a chance to walk this world proudly with a Canadian Maple Leaf splayed on my back.
Canadians come in all sorts and sizes. Certainly my size changes all the time. However let me tell you about a friend of mine. None of you have heard of him before. He’s continually under the radar when it comes to my writings. However, when it comes to being a Canadian, he’s got a resume a mile long.
My friends name is Lorne. He has been a friend since those youthful days 20 years ago when your loyal scribe was in graduate school at the University of Guelph. Lorne was there too, having moved to Guelph from Burnaby B.C. He had done his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University.
When I met him those few details singled him out as a true specimen of something different. Growing up in Ontario my view of anybody educated on Burnaby Mountain’s University was very simple. I thought they’d be wild-eyed radicals on the political fringe of almost anything mainstream. Of course I never thought I’d meet one. However, my friend Lorne explained he was from Burnaby and had been educated at Simon Fraser University. Hmmmmmm.
His legend grew in my mind when he told me about his B.C. NDP roots. Lorne grew up in a British Columbian political world polarized between the right wing Social Credit party and the socialist, red horde, communist New Democratic Party. He spent much of his youth fighting “SOCREDS”. When I got to know Lorne this “fight” or “difference in philosophy” seemed to permeate our political discussions. Still to this day, I’m sure he dreams of former B.C. Premier Bill VanderZalm dancing through a Guelph flower garden.
To a farm boy who grew up in Southwestern Ontario, that was all interesting stuff. However, one of the most interesting things about Lorne is he’s been almost everywhere in Canada bar none. In fact he did it the hard way. In 1975 he and a couple buddies loaded into a van and crossed Canada visiting every nook and cranny along the way. They even came down to southwestern Ontario, visiting Point Pelee. He even topped that off by working with our aboriginal people on the shores of James Bay. My man Lorne with all his experiences is the quintessential Canadian.
It gets better. Believe it or not my friend Lorne is bilingual. I often wondered how a kid who grew up in Burnaby gets to be bilingual. So what do I do? I ask him. He tells me there was no real secret to it; he just kept working at it the hard way. So when we meet a Quebec family in the interior of B.C. like we did many years ago, Lorne rhymes off a blue streak of French. Needless to say, our Quebec friends went away somewhat impressed with this friendly, bilingual British Columbian.
As the fireworks boomed on Canada Day night in front of Horseshoe Falls, I could only reflect on this great country. I’m sure there are many other “Canadian Lornes” throughout this great land. Hey, some people might even think I’m one. However, I know better. The important thing to do as Canadians is get out and find some. That way we can only learn more about what being Canadian really means.