Today is Canada Day. Eleven years ago, I was so excited to be flying the Canadian flag at the farm on July 1. Over the years, my attitude has changed, and this year I feel even more conflicted.
The flag is about my identification as Canadian and my pride in my country. But this year, I feel less connected to Canada’s current direction and less pride.
Growing up, I was taught that Canada is a great place to live, a place of diversity and acceptance, a champion for human rights. Those things are true, but only to a certain extent.
Over the last several years, I have learned more about Canada’s struggles with inequality, intolerance and injustice. At our country’s worse, it devolves to discrimination and abuse.
The ongoing treatment of Indigenous peoples and the awful situations so many are living in do not reflect the Canada that I want to identify with. I recently read Garbs Chief Sheila North’s memoire. She wrote, “Our country and all Canadians have learned the same views from generation to generation, creating systemic and institutional racism everywhere.” Centuries of abuse have damaged generations of people, and the government shows little willingness to change its course.
The government’s response to Israel’s attacks on Palestinians does not demonstrate respect for human rights and equality. I identify as Canadian, yet I don’t recognize myself in my government’s stance. Palestinians and Jews deserve to live. They deserve to be safe in their homes.
I teach my child to respect others, be kind, not hurt people and not take what doesn’t belong to her. I also teach her that people are different, but that doesn’t change how we treat them.
Throughout the protests during Covid-19, I felt uncomfortable with the flag in front of our house. What if people thought we were one of “those” people? Those people who seemed so intolerant and who had co-opted the flag. I refused to take it down, but I let it get very tattered, perhaps a representation of my feelings at the time.
Paul Litt, a history professor at Carleton University, talked about some of my feelings. “Where there’s evidence that maybe Canada means something different than what you imagined it to be — an extension of yourself — that has great potential for dissonance.”
Canada is a place of goodness. But we have a long way ago to ensure that goodness is universal. It is up to each of us to be open, speak up, vote, learn, teach and listen.
North talked about the “Seven Teachings that many Indigenous people adhere to: Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, Truth.” These are values that represent the Canada that I want to live in.
Home on 129 Acres 
I was in Ottawa for the trucker convoy. I still tense when I see a Canadian Flag on a pick up truck. It was not a peaceful protest. I’m sure there were some who were there because they were angry at the mandates ( but the majority of those should have been in Toronto) but the organizers wanted to overthrow the government. They wanted the Governor General to dissolve the government and they would “ help” form a new government. They had a sons of Odin (a white supremacy group) as one of their leaders, also an Alberta separatist. I fear for the world as the fringe becomes the people in power, or the power behind the power. I see that people have their faith however that faith should not dictate how other people should live. The basic tenets of every major world religion is love, so all these “ religious “ people really aren’t because they are all about hate. And nobody knows how to compromise. It seems to be I can’t win unless you lose.
Get Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef ________________________________
It sounds like it was a very difficult time for you. I had some of those same feelings and I was removed from the protests.
Sheila North (the author who I quoted in this post) had a statement on religion that resonated with me. “Spirituality is a personal thing in one’s life, and I think there are already enough hardships in life that we don’t need to debate about who’s right. I think we all just need to do our best to live life in a good way. God, Creator, Jesus–however you choose to acknowledge the Great Spirit–will figure it out.”
Unfortunately, as you say, many people are not that accepting and don’t seem to live by the “love” aspect of religion.
I think what you are describing – a country as an extension of self is hugely naive, as all nationalism is based on violence. Sometimes it is less apparent, sometimes more but it is always there. Canda has a deeply violent history as you write, and without it there would be no canada, nor would you have your home. That is the sad truth, which so many people wish to deny, hence the image of Canada you grew up with. With Israel and Palestine this violence is more apparent (an understatement) but it is not inherently different from the violence of Canada. This is not to condone the ongoing war, just to say, as an Israeli, that with or without Canada’s support we (both Israeli and Palestinians) are locked in an ongoing struggle for nationhood which I cannot see ending in our lifetime. So so tragic but unfortunately true. The Canadian flag, and any flag is a symbol of what we want it to be. It is yours and you desrve to fly it for your values. I put up the Israeli flag although I have been protesting against the government for years now, and disagree with pretty much everything they stand for.
Canada does have a violent history, and as a descendant of settlers I have privilege other people don’t. However, my argument is that we should not continue to perpetuate violence today. It is our responsibility to speak out against violence and advocate for justice and human rights.
Hi,
I understood your argument but I am not sure nation states can be maintained without ongoing violence, and this includes the West where much of the violence is done behind closed curtains or off shore. Israel and Palestine, very sadly would not continue to exist or have any hope to come into existance without violence. I say this with a very heavy heart as someone who has lost family members and friends and know many others who have also lost dear ones.
I am forever wondering how such well wishing, and obviously genuine statements about the Middle East and other places make anything better in the world. For me it makes things more desperate – as if all the complicated, lived truths of both sides are wished away by good but hugely simplistic intentions. If you have a chance see what designmom wrote about the 7th of October and the ongoing war. I think she is one of the few lifestyle writers who managed to say something of interest and hope.
This essay by renowned sociologist Eva Illuz about how the response of the West is making any peace prospects even less likely, also makes an interesting read. It translates quite well: https://www.haaretz.co.il/opinions/2024-05-23/ty-article-opinion/.premium/0000018f-a494-d9c2-af8f-b5d5eb350000?gift=40722844aa744b4d8775bdffd03dc427
Take care and keep caring about the world.
Merav
Thank you for sharing those articles.