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HAPPY CANADA DAY
As fate would have it Ella and are going to be in Ottawa on Friday July 1st. We wanted to celebrate the founding of our great country and to welcome at the same time our beautiful brand new granddaughter, Aviva Elisabeth, whose baby naming is July 2nd.
The Nations Capital is the headquarters for Canada’s celebration dating back to Confederation in 1867 The pundits tell us that Ottawa can expect 500,000 people to the party. It seems that everyone is coming to enjoy the celebration on Major’s Park Hill.
Governor General David Johnston will host the special newlyweds, Prince William and his bride Kate, who are beginning their honeymoon in Canada starting July 1st.
Our country has sure changed since 1867. From two founding peoples, French/English who were welcomed ashore to a new land by the Ukwehume Aboriginal people. We are now a very diverse country of many peoples. A rainbow of colours, religions and nationalities from all over the world who have chosen Canada to be their home.
Mandarin is now the second most popular language spoken in the GTA. It doesn’t matter if you are Black or White or any of the many shades in-between. All are welcome to practice their religion/customs according to their own beliefs. The more we learn about our fellow man the better we are able to understand that we are all the same.
All people yearn for a land of peace and freedom where we are appreciated for what we are: not where we came from. Canada is one of the few countries in the world where economic/social upward mobility is attainable. If you are born poor then you can be and do anything you want if you but try.
Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada, was the seventeenth of eighteen children who was the son of a poor man who sold fire wood for a living. Celine Dion, came from humble beginnings and she has found fame and fortune as a result of her musical talents.
Frank Stronach came to Canada with fifty dollars in his pocket along with machinist accreditation and he became the founder of Magna International that has earned him the respect along with billions of dollars.
Canadians can look back with pride remembering family who bravely left their homes behind to strike on their own in a new land. It is not easy to rip out our deep roots casting fear to the winds to embrace the customs and language of a new country. Canada is patch work of people whose many talents make our very large diverse country successful. We are encouraged to keep our ethnic values and blend them at the same time into the framework that we call Canada.
Believe it or not, we have more wealth than Americans, even though we work shorter hours. We drink more often but we live longer and have fewer diseases. We have more sex but we have fewer teen aged pregnancies along with fewer sexually transmitted diseases. We spend more time with family and friends, and more time exploring the world. We are not as prone to break the law.
Free universal health care for everyone regardless of one’s means allows us to live two years longer then our American neighbours. We have an excellent publicly funded elementary/secondary education absolutely free for all.
Dare to compare and you will find that the average Joe/Jane in Canada have one of the best qualities of life in the world.
To-day, July 1st, we all have the right to walk with our heads held high. Hell, we are Canadians eh.
Len Lesser