Thursday July 1, 2021 | LANGFORD, BC
ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS ARCHIVE
EDITORIAL by Mary P Brooke | As *first published* on June 30, 2017
The core message of what was penned in our 2017 Canada Day editorial still holds during this Canada Day in 2021 where all Canadians are reflecting on a darker chapter of the building of this country. It is precisely because as a nation we try to ‘get it right’ that all Canadians — Indigenous and non-Indigenous — will emerge from this painful period of discovery about Indian Residential Schools and build a strong future, all of us together. – MPB on July 1, 2021
Canada Day comes around every year on July 1. But not like this year. This is Canada’s 150th year since confederation, the sesquicentennial!
A few years ago there seemed to be a sagging level of interest in wearing Canadian pride on one’s sleeve. But since 2015 with the open arms of multi-culturalism, paying attention to the middle class, and applying innovation to new and old sectors of the economy, it seems that this country has re-achieved its true Canadian flavour. As Canadians we are robust, winter-management types who are so polite. But together, Canadians also set a tone of wanting to do better, wanting to be more. We seek this as a culture, and it’s quite rare if not unique on this planet.
Canada tries to get it right. This country has shown leadership for women in politics. LGBTQ2 rights, and multi-cultural diversity. However, other than the tech sector which has a momentum of its own, Canada lags behind in shaking its core socioeconomic identity away from natural resources and struggles with a housing market that has become a complex financial investment instrument.
But like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, this will probably soon get shaken off. With some insightful and courageous investment this country could re-enliven its economy and move into the future with some fresh and long-term economic prosperity as well as a housing profile that supplies enough roofs over heads to affordably go around.
It’s exciting to be part of this transitional phase as Canada at first stumbles, then picks itself up and walks bravely into the ultra-modern future. There’s that ancient Chinese proverb proposing that it’s a curse to live in exciting times. However, in 2017 all but the most disadvantaged among us (duly noted) can take pride in a country that shines like a beacon in a deeply troubled world.
This editorial by Mary P Brooke was first published on page 2 in the June 30, 2017 print-PDF edition of West Shore Voice News. The publication that was in print and PDF format during 2011-2020 changed to fully digital in March 2020 and the name of the publication now offered in this news portal at www.islandsocialtrends.ca was changed to Island Social Trends in August 2020.
