I am privileged to have been born into and lived my entire life in the best country in the world, Canada. Yes, Canada, but not just the whole wonderful expanse of the country but in a specially blessed corner or the country. My current address is in Mississauga Ontario snuggled against the beautiful waters of Lake Ontario.
I’ve lived in many communities along the shore of the lake and as far as the St. Lawrence River that takes its precious waters to the eastern ocean.
Lake Ontario and the whole Great Lakes system is a gift from centuries past when the ice cap covered this area with a huge blanket that eventually melted and filled the lakes with fresh cold water. Canada is blessed with resources including responsible democratic government, a diverse population, gold, iron, other minerals, forests, oil, gas, mountains, prairies and a northern frontier that will soon be a major shipping route between the west and east.
We live north of the great United States of America. It is a country that has grown huge and prosperous by exploiting its resources. It is a war like country that spends heavily on the military and employs many thousands of people as soldiers. It has, in the past, attempted to include Canada in its perceived manifest destiny but our forefathers defended the northern country and saved us for a kinder, gentler existence. We thank them for that.
Wise men have said that oil drove 20th Century but water will drive the 21st Century. Oil powered the industrial might of America and coupled with water resources the country became a super power. Earlier super powers included Britain, France, Spain, Rome and many others back through time. They all prospered and eventually failed for a variety of reasons. It is inevitable the American empire will decline and be challenged by another growing power.
Canada has never aspired to being a power in the world. We chug along, do what we must, support our friends, give our young men in battle for other nations and take nothing from them. We are overlooked in the councils of power. So be it. We are blessed and want for nothing.
I believe our greatest gift is our lakes and mighty rivers. I love to walk along the shore of Lake Ontario and gaze at the huge expanse of fresh life giving water. Long life Canada on this Canada Day 2011.
For more than a decade prior to my emigration to Canada, I referred to myself as a European. Now, as a Canadian, I am bound to remain partly European but, when asked, I refer to myself as Canadian.
ReplyDeleteI agree, almost totally, with your proud description of this wonderful country, if you had only left out the political statement.
To say, "Canada is blessed with ... responsible democratic government ..." makes me scratch my head. This wordsmith is bound to take you to task:
☞ Responsible: Morally accountable, capable of rational conduct. Respectable and trustworthy. Not autocratic.
☞ Democratic: Practising democracy. Favouring social equality.
I feel certain that we are using different dictionaries.
Of course, with respect to China, for example, you may be correct, but you did not say that.
Your dictionary is first class. I said responsible government because early Canadians had to fight for it from the ruling oligarchy of the time called the Family Compact in Upper Canada. William Lyon McKenzie led a rebellion down Yonge Street to challenge the family compact of rich landowners and politicians. A rebellion in Lower Canada about the same time led to an investigation by the British government and a report by Lord Durham that changed the system and resulted in elected politicos who were responsible to the people and democratically elected according to the norms of the times. Look up Durham's Report for more information.
ReplyDeleteI wrote in the present tense because your blog seemed to be written in the present tense. I guess that I am insufficiently Canadian to read the Durham Report. ;-)
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