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Thoughtful Canada Day

Helena

Veteran

Thought Canadians and others might be interested in this article about the complexity of "celebrating" Canada, in the wake of so-called-trucker protests, residential school burials grounds, etc. I admit our Canada flag has stayed folded in the cupboard the past few years as I figure out how to balance my gratitude for a country that often embeds compassion in it's systems and policies, and that enabled my parents to build a better life for themselves, with my frustration and despair at how unequally that compassion is shared. So wishing Canadians a thoughtful Canada Day this year xx

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada.....-1.6505885

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17 replies

Latest reply was from RobinF

Helena

Veteran

If this is too political Angie please delete by all means xx

LJP

Veteran

All week, every older person I chatted with rued the change in pace/name/celebrations for what isn't even being called Canada Day here now. "What are we supposed to call it now?" I don't personally care a lot - too much of our indigenous history has been ignored for generations , and what are we celebrating anyways?

missvee

Veteran

Well our flags and banners are out and we’re celebrating the day. I think there’s far more right than wrong with our country. Like many others my ancestors made their way here for the freedom and opportunities that they didn’t have in their birth countries.
I’m also very saddened by our ongoing indigenous tragedies, but I have to be hopeful that as we know better, we’ll do better..
Thanks for posting Helena.

Style Fan

Veteran

I am very thankful to be living in Canada. My parents came here after WW II, and life was not easy for many years. But there is the indigenous history that has been ignored and worse. Both are important to me.

Echo

Veteran

Thank you for posting, Helena. As an American struggling with internal turmoil, I can no longer in good conscience recite the Pledge, and I am torn about Independence Day celebrations. I struggle with reconciling the founding ideals of the country with our shrinking freedoms.

FWIW, I think Canada has more compassion built into its system than its neighbor. That doesn't excuse the wrongs committed in the past, but I have hope that your country is working to overcome them in the future. I am saddened that your flag has come to represent competing ideals, just as I am saddened that our flag has experienced the same dichotomy.

I struggle with what the best approach is. These competing virtue signals are complicated to navigate. Does the flag symbolize its most recent use or its history or the ideals on which it was built? The answer is different for everyone.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

In recent years, many Americans have read Frederik Douglas’ piece “What, to a slave, is the Fourth of July?” There are many injustices in our country that need to be corrected. What I celebrate on the 4th is not “gee this is great” but the founders’ ideals for their own lives, which need to be spread to everyone in our country. I would like to see the day become one that recognizes the need for change. Just as we help loved ones improve and make loving comments here on our sartorial choices, I think working to better our country is a true act of love.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Ditto to everything Echo said, and agreeing with StagF as well. We tend to think Canada has it’s act a bit more together than their loud neighbors to the south (it’s a total mess here in the States right now and I’m not sure it will get better before getting a lot worse), but every country has its issues. Belated Happy Canada Day to you!

Helena

Veteran

Thank you all ... I knew if there was a group on the internet that would feel through the messiness if it, it would be this group. May all our countries keep moving towards our better ideals!! Xx

RoseandJoan

Veteran

National identity is so complex, I personally choose to acknowledge the mistakes of the past and present while retaining a hope that collectively we can do better.

I totally understand your hesitancy Helena and hope you found a way to navigate this issue.

Peri

Veteran

As one of your southern neighbors I can relate to what you've said so eloquently. Especially with events of recents days, I'm having a hard time drumming up any feeling of national pride.

But...as my husband likes to point out, we can say so and not fear for our safety, and that's not nothing.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Here’s the link for the piece I mentioned earlier. https://teachingamericanhistor.....h-of-july/

Jules

Veteran

I really didn’t celebrate the holiday much as kid (my dad was a draft dodger from the US and both my parents have always rejected nationalism in general, to the point where my mother, a high school teacher, would stand outside her classroom for the anthem back in the 90s as a small personal protest). I actually don’t recall it ever being much of a thing for friends either. And to be honest I associate some of the themed ‘stuff’ people might buy to celebrate with Dollarama/overconsumption. As a family with very socially aware kids, we went from celebrating Canada 150 in 2017 with a prize pack we happened to win, to my kids informing me last year that we were no longer celebrating, which I am more than fine with. They also don’t stand for the anthem at school.

I am grateful for what we have here (as is my father as an immigrant who couldn’t go back to the US for several years and again refused to visit when Trump was in power) and don’t take it for granted but my way of recognizing that is to be active politically and socially in my small way to use my privilege for good.

Runcarla

Veteran

As an immigrant (now citizen) of Canada, I’ve loved celebrating the holiday by wearing a red and white outfit, attending the town parade, and making a celebratory Canadian type meal (usually salmon, oven roasted potatoes, green beans with maple and Rye glaze, and strawberries for desert.) None of that happened this year - though we did have strawberries for dessert.

I’m hoping I’ll be ready to celebrate again next year.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

So complicated, right? I share your sense of confusion, Helena.

This year I did celebrate, though -- not "Canada Day" exactly -- but being with friends on a gorgeous sunny day, swimming in the ocean, feeling happy and grateful to live in such a beautiful place, even with all its ignoble history and unsettled present.

Anonymous

I can relate to all this, though I'm in the US! Honestly, is there anywhere in the world that isn't a hot mess anymore?

unfrumped

Veteran

A wise mentor once reminded me,
“Bloom where you’re planted.”

RobinF

Veteran

I love reading this thoughtful discussion. I touches on a lot of my thoughts this year but haven't been able to put into words. There are so many unsettling and uncomfortable (and worse) things going on that it is really hard to celebrate as a nation. Maybe we have to get to this point to start making changes.