There are many people where there is no Canadian identity
There isn’t really a Canadian identity left at this point. I live in a tiny rural community where we consider ourselves to be keeping the torch in a way… We don’t lock our doors, we share and help each other, call each other on the phone just to chat, we sit around and drink too much coffee or beer and wrench on old junk. Drive around in winter plowing driveways and pulling cars out of the ditch. If a neighbour needs a tool it’s just “let yourself into the shop and it’s in the red toolbox, bring it back when you’re done”
The cities though? I have friends there and that community attitude is long dead. Any available resources are exploited and nothing given in return, everyone is poor and desperate and barely making rent. Our country is very sick.
I’ve been pondering this one because I grew up a country boy and now live in the city. What you’re talking about still exists. I live in Newmarket, ON and still rarely lock my doors and so all the things you mention.
John Ralston Saul said, and I’m paraphrasing, what made Canadians special was the uniqueness in how we came to be. Our relationship with “the other” now defined as immigrants, comes from a natural place of understanding and respect. You become a Canadian but you also keep your identity because Canada is made stronger by that inter-weaving of social fabrics.
I will agree that our country is hurting but I would argue the biggest threat to our nation is the immigration of American style identity politics that started back in the 80’s and has since escalated to a wave of “Fuck Trudeau”.
I have said before what truly scares me is that the Conservative movement in all their bigoted while male centric policies has realized that they can synergize their vitriol with people who have come here from brutally regressive countries when it comes to the treatment of women, gays and minorities.
Big picture we are going in the right direction but it’s going to be a rough decade or so.
There isn’t really a Canadian identity left at this point. I live in a tiny rural community where we consider ourselves to be keeping the torch in a way… We don’t lock our doors, we share and help each other, call each other on the phone just to chat, we sit around and drink too much coffee or beer and wrench on old junk. Drive around in winter plowing driveways and pulling cars out of the ditch. If a neighbour needs a tool it’s just “let yourself into the shop and it’s in the red toolbox, bring it back when you’re done”
The cities though? I have friends there and that community attitude is long dead. Any available resources are exploited and nothing given in return, everyone is poor and desperate and barely making rent. Our country is very sick.
I’ve been pondering this one because I grew up a country boy and now live in the city. What you’re talking about still exists. I live in Newmarket, ON and still rarely lock my doors and so all the things you mention.
John Ralston Saul said, and I’m paraphrasing, what made Canadians special was the uniqueness in how we came to be. Our relationship with “the other” now defined as immigrants, comes from a natural place of understanding and respect. You become a Canadian but you also keep your identity because Canada is made stronger by that inter-weaving of social fabrics.
I will agree that our country is hurting but I would argue the biggest threat to our nation is the immigration of American style identity politics that started back in the 80’s and has since escalated to a wave of “Fuck Trudeau”.
I have said before what truly scares me is that the Conservative movement in all their bigoted while male centric policies has realized that they can synergize their vitriol with people who have come here from brutally regressive countries when it comes to the treatment of women, gays and minorities.
Big picture we are going in the right direction but it’s going to be a rough decade or so.