July 1, 2021

CELEBRATE CANADA DAY! BUT REMEMBER GOOD, BAD AND UGLY …

MUSKOKA — O Canada! What a year this has been.

Looking back … the pandemic. policing and patriotism have shown this country the good, the bad and the ugly of being Canadians.

It’s been about who we were and are.

Preferably more of the latter as we use our 154 years of history to reflect on past misdeeds done to our Indigenous brothers and sisters by ancestors and generations before who should have known better.

And hopefully learn from our experiences as we step forward arm and vaccinated arm to put right what was wrong.

Together all nations in Canada need to reconcile our differences and live as one new confederation with new purposes and goals.

Being Canadian means more than the past. It’s about the future, which is why we remain the envy of the world — warts and all.

Mixing metaphors a bit, it bears comparison and repeating the axioms about “… democracy not being perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got;” and “Cast not the first stone ….”

Every nation has its sins and it’s those that come come to grips with the “sins of thy father” and deal with them in a collegial way that will emerge stronger.

Each year we celebrate who we are and who we want to be.

Not who we were — those days are now thankfully behind us.

If you think there’s hope for Canada, show your pride in being all-in on being a Canadian.

Celebrate like there is a tomorrow.

Because Black, white or brown … we’re all “red-skins” one way or the other July 1.