I am in the mood to celebrate.
I am in the mood to celebrate all that Canada is, and what we can be.
Canada is a great country, and I am excited to think about all we may achieve together over the next century as we chart an exciting future.
It is a country worth fighting for, and a country which represents a promise to the world. A promise that many peoples can become one people and live in harmony together.
Forget American exceptionalism, Canada is already exceptional. A place which only few can dream exists– a land of peace and plenty: the true Golden Mountain, the true Turtle Island, and the True North, strong and free.
Land of the Northern Lights, the mighty Rockies and the Great Lakes, and the Maple Leaf Forever.
Chief Dan George once wrote:
The strength of fire,
the taste of salmon,
the trail of the sun,
And the life that never goes away,
They speak to me.
And my heart soars
It is this type of elation I am feeling as we come into this Canada Day. The thought of all these natural wonders we enjoy; the thought of the peaceful promise my sons will hopefully one day inherit. The unvarnished Canada which transcends the petty politics of the day. The Canada which rises above, not sinks below.
There is the mud and squalor of these little debates and threats, and then there is the endless sky of Canada’s promise. I would rather, like Dan George, have my heart soar like an eagle then drag my belly along like a weasel in the dirt. I think most of us feel that way.
So enjoy yourself this Canada Day, and wear the Maple Leaf proudly. I hope everyone had a chance to appreciate the blessing that Canada is.
-Tim Kalinowski is the Editor of the Cochrane Eagle
