Why I Love Being Canadian
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Introduction
In honor of Canada Day, July 1, I am writing about why I am proud to be Canadian. I promise not to be obnoxiously political (lol), but I want to address, in list form (in no order), what it is about Canada, my “home and native land” that I love. (While I’m at it, I’d like to wish my neighbors to the south, the United States, a very happy Independence Day on July 4th.)
I love being Canadian because:
· Canada is a place of democracy. While many might argue that many of our democratic rights have been eroded in the past few years, I must argue that we, as Canadians, don’t realize how blessed we are in our country. I have lived in a country for several years where it is known as a ‘benevolent dictatorship’ because while the leaders are arguably good to their citizens, there are no elections and no power for the people. A handful of royalty runs the entire country without fear of being replaced by elections. In Canada, we still have a voice in who becomes our leaders in Parliament (and in our legislatures at the Provincial level).
· Canadians have personal rights and freedoms guaranteed by law. Again, detractors would argue that since Covid-19, they have been severely infringed upon. However, as a woman and a citizen, I still have the right to own my website and blog and present my opinion here every week without having someone standing over my shoulder threatening me if I don’t write what they dictate I should. I can attend any religious or spiritual organization I wish or none. I can wear what I want—no one is telling me what I’m allowed to put on my body (within the bounds of good taste and common decency. For example, I won’t wander outside naked because that is inappropriate not only for the children of my community but because it would offend my neighbors, which I don’t want to do). I can choose which political party I want to support. I have the right to due process under our justice system. No system is perfect. There will be violations because we live in a society filled with imperfect human beings. But I challenge you to live abroad for a while and then come back and tell me that we Canadians have no rights and freedoms. The right to complain on Facebook about government overreach is evidence of such freedom.
· Our indigenous peoples welcomed most of our ancestors to this land and helped them survive a very different and even harsh environment to settle. We didn’t repay them well for their hospitality and generosity, something I’m not proud of. I would like to thank them and show my respect.
· We have modern conveniences! Luxuries that other people living in countries around the world only dream about. I can’t even begin to go into them all here. Still, one example that stands out as I do my laundry is that we have full-size washing machines and dryers as commonplace appliances in most homes or at least available at laundromats. While living in the UAE, all we had was a tiny (and I mean tiny) 5-kilogram capacity front-load washing machine in our kitchen. We were fortunate. Many people don’t have a washing machine and must send out to a laundry every week. As for having a dryer? Forget it. We hung everything on a V-wing rack in our living room twice weekly. First-world problems, am I right?
· Drip (brewed) coffee available everywhere. Here in Canada, it’s commonplace to have a coffee brewer of your own or to run to McDonald’s, Tim Horton’s, or Starbucks and buy brewed coffee. Not so much in other countries like the UAE. If you go out there and ask for a coffee, it’s almost always made on an espresso machine, with espresso beans, where a ‘normal’ cup of coffee is called an Americano. If they don’t have an espresso machine, expect your coffee to be made from freeze-dried instant coffee powder. Yum. Am I a coffee snob? I never thought I was until I lived in Dubai. But if you want a cappuccino then you’re in luck.
· The four seasons! As a Canadian, I hear many complaints about our long winters, especially in the prairie provinces. Still, I will take our winters because they also come with the beauty of Spring and Fall and the tolerable warmth of Summer. I can walk outside from April to October without roasting my hinny off! Even in the winter, except for two or three weeks when the temperatures are below minus twenty Celsius, I can bundle up in my parka, toque, scarf, and boots (don’t forget the mittens!) and walk. In Dubai, in the summer (starting in May and lasting until the end of September), it’s forty to fifty degrees Celsius outside. There is no way to stay cool on a walk. Even if you were allowed to strip buck naked and go for a stroll (which you certainly are not), you’d fry in the sun and roast in the convection oven-like wind.
· It’s so green! I’m not talking about the environmental movement. I’m talking grass, trees, and plants, and it’s beautiful! We have a gorgeous country with diverse topography and natural wonders. I’ve only seen a tiny fraction of this wonderful country, but what I have seen has convinced me that we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. I just moved home from living in a desert where everything is a shade of brown, and if there is something green growing, you know they’ve irrigated the snot out of it (pardon my blunt language).
· Our food and beverage choices are practically limitless. In the UAE, eating their rendition of Western dishes can be an adventure, and most restaurants serve either Indian/Pakistani cuisine or some variation of Arabic food. Both are wonderful, but as they say, variety is the spice of life, and in Canada, we have such a multicultural nation that our choices are truly incredible.
· Hockey, CFL, and Curling. I never thought I would include hockey in a list of things I’m grateful for, but here we are. After having nothing to watch but soccer (which they call football) or cricket, I’ll take a good old-fashioned hockey game to watch any day. I also missed being able to watch the CFL and curling while in the UAE (let’s not talk about the Edmonton Elks).
· We have toques, toboggans, mukluks, and poutine!
· My family and friends. Here, I have easy, face-to-face access to the people I care about the most. There’s ZOOM (which I never actually employed while in the UAE to visit with anyone back home), but it’s not the same. Being able to gather over dinner or for special occasions is a precious gift that I didn’t appreciate until eleven thousand kilometers prevented me from being able to do it.
· Everyone I talked to in the UAE from other countries told me how lucky I was to be Canadian and how much they wished they could live in my country. We have a great reputation around the world, folks. People love us for our hospitality, freedom, generosity, and opportunity for a better life. It’s time Canadians truly appreciated what’s wonderful about our country instead of complaining about some of the (minor) problems our country experiences (compared to other countries).
Conclusion
I could go on and on about the wonderful aspects of being Canadian. I’ve seen endless lists of what is wonderful and unique about this country. And I admit to being a little biased. (I refuse to compare us to the United States because I think they are special, and we are lucky to have them as our neighbors and allies.) No place on Earth is perfect, as all countries are comprised of imperfect human beings, but Canada is about as great as it comes. I hope everyone has a wonderful, fun, and safe Canada Day holiday weekend. Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment to let me know what you love about being Canadian (or whatever nationality you happen to be). Please subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on what is happening on my blog, and please share this with your friends and family. God bless you all!
Pauline