Canada Day

Today is Canada Day,Canada's national holiday-the 145th.Actually it wasn't called Canada Day until quite recently,having been called Dominion Day prior to that and celebrating our membership in the British Commonwealth.Our flag,the red Maple Leaf is relatively new as well.When it was introduced in the 1960's it was quite controversial and many people wouldn't display it, preferring the Union Jack or the old Canadian Ensign instead.Those days seem to have passed now judging from the number of small flags I see being worn about town.Many of the people who seem to be proudest of the flag would appear to be new Canadians,either African or Asian and especially their children.

Since it is Canada Day,I feel like I should,in some way write something of a reflective nature on my country.That seems kind of odd as I hope that I'm telling my readers something about Canada everyday I write.I think a lot of things about Canada,most everyday and most of them good.It just seems odd to set aside a special day for it.

Over the last three years I've made the round trip from Calgary to Moncton with a two year stop along the way in Toronto.I guess what really has become evident to me is that this a very large country.Not only in terms of area,but in terms of what ,and who is contained within it's boundaries.Almost everything you can imagine is here,almost every kind of landscape and nearly every kind of person,both in terms of nationality and belief or values.That alone is something to praise my country for.

As a rule,even with all our differences we are a very tolerant society and people get along much better than even I can believe.As a whole we are a very peaceful society and I guess that's why many immigrants seek to come here.Even in our larger cities I feel safe walking about,and though there is crime,it is low compared to our southern neighbours

Comparing ourselves to Americans is something we seem to do a lot.I wonder if the fact that our patriotic holidays are so close together has anything to do with that.Our histories are very different as are our societies in contemporary terms.I've heard it said that a Canadian is "just an American with health care and no guns.There is some truth to that,as cynical as it may seem.As a whole we are a more liberal country,even when we have conservative leadership as we do now.We are also less militaristic,though,especially recently we do support our troops.

I have not spent every Canada Day in Calgary.When we were young we would usually spend the day in Pugwash,Nova Scotia,half a world away from here,and such a different place.Pugwash would have a Gathering Of The Clans on Canada Day,and my father would never miss it if he wasn't working.It really was more a celebration of being Scottish,than being Canadian and the day would be filled with piping and highland dance competition.After dark they would have a fireworks display out over the harbour and the Canadian Coast Guard would usually have a ship available in port for touring.I missed the celebration in Pugwash the last time I was back east in 2009.My sister went,but I walked into downtown Moncton and caught the celebrations there instead.

Today started off with a half drunken display by a woman dancing around in a Dr.Suess type hat and trying to hug everyone who she met.Not all were receptive,though she seemed in good spirits.Usually celebrations are low key.There will be a lot of people about town and in the parks and there will be fireworks tonight.The wearing of all things red is very fashionable as is the waving of small flags,but on the whole we are a lot more subdued in our patriotism than Americans.That seems to be changing though.Patriotism seems to be much more ion evidence than it did when I was younger.

Sometimes,of course,celebration involves stupidity or the excessive use of alcohol or both.A few years ago I walked by a house in the Victoria Park district of Calgary at about 7p.m. and noticed that they seemed to have gotten an early start on Canada Day celebrations.They were drinking on a upper balcony and were very loud and obviously drunk.The next morning I heard about the house fire and I knew exactly which house it would be.It seems that at about midnight someone got the idea to set off the fireworks in celebration.But,they got the idea to do this indoors,without the benefit of an open window.The next day I walked by and sure enough it was the party house from the day before.I got to see what 40 or 50 years of"can't fix stupid"looks like.But for the most part Canada Day is a fine summer celebration.It really is a celebration of so many different things,as Canada is more a mix of cultures spread out over a huge area.Yet we all celebrate on this day,and we are all Canadian and proud to be so.