Canada Day is this coming weekend.
And while it hasn't been the greatest of years for Canada, this country, which will soon have its 155th birthday, gives us lots of reasons to be proud. The majority of us recognize that we hit the jackpot because we live in Canada.
Most of the people you encounter in Canada are pretty awesome folks. They're hard-working, reasonable and respectful individuals who follow the rules and are welcoming to those from other countries, races and faiths.
There's a reason why people from all over the world come here to live, and why so many more want to be here. There are so many opportunities.
We have the freedom to support the political party and the candidate of our choice in an election. You might not be satisfied with the end result of the vote, but at least you have the freedom to vote without having to worry about intimidation.
We are a country with great natural resources – oil, natural gas and minerals – and we have dreamers and innovators trying to maximize these resources while limiting the impact on the environment.
We have so many hard-working people in the agriculture sector who are growing what the world needs, and they're always on the lookout for ways to do their jobs better.
Our country is home to so many tremendous athletes, academics, musicians, performers, artists and others who have left their impact on the global stage.
We're fortunate to live in a country with such natural beauty, from the oceans, the dense forests and the mountains, to the plains, the vast fields, the rivers and the lakes. We're the world's second-largest country, and there's so much of it ready and waiting to be explored.
And we are diverse. We have people of all races, religions, beliefs and nationalities living here because they want to be here.
We have the freedom to express our opinions. If you're not happy with the government, that's your prerogative, and you can voice that criticism. Granted, those comments have to be within the framework of good taste – threats, slander and libel are not acceptable – but at least you can make valid comments without having to worry about going to jail.
What we do in Canada is pretty incredible. We don't have the population of a global power, yet we are one of the strongest economies on the planet. In so many ways, we punch above our weight.
Yes, we've had struggles. We've had to contend, once again, with the harsh realities of our treatment of Indigenous peoples. Yes, we're talking a good game right now when it comes to reconciliation, and we've seen some good measures continue to be put in place, but there is still so much work remaining.
With the discovery of each unmarked gravesite, we once again have to confront the harsh realities of the history associated with the residential school system and how we treated those who were here before us.
We saw the federal government's botched handling of the convoy to Ottawa earlier this year. The federal government became a laughing stock and had to eventually employ the Emergencies Act to clear the protesters out of downtown Ottawa and halt similar protests elsewhere in the country.
There are things that set us off and issues we wish we could change. That's always going to be the case. If something gets resolved, then we'll find something else to gripe about. There is no perfect country.
But it is our country. So on Friday, show how proud you are to be Canadian. Wear your red and white as much as possible. Have Canadian flags waving from your vehicle.
Yes, be aware of our history and don't hide from it. But don't let it diminish the knowledge that this is the country where we should want to be.
