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.

June is election month here in Ontario, so we decided it was a good time to hoist the provincial flag for the first time.

We picked up this flag at Value Village a few months ago. As you’ve seen before, we have a bit of a thing for flags, so it was neat to do some research into Ontario’s flag, which I actually didn’t know very much about.

Ontario’s flag is very British.

“It was traditional for jurisdictions around the world with a British system of government and way of life to adapt either a blue or red ensign as a flag, by adding the local coat of arms or some other symbol.” (Wikipedia)

The Red Ensign is a red flag with a small Union Jack in the upper left corner. For Ontario’s version, the local symbol is the provincial shield of arms.

“The shield of arms… consists of three golden maple leaves, representing Canada, on a green background.” At the top of the shield is the Cross of St. George. Many of the British loyalists who left the US during the American revolution came to Ontario. They were loyal to King George III, hence St. George’s Cross. (Wikipedia)

Leaving aside the history lesson to look to the future, I want to encourage my Ontario readers to please vote. Election day is tomorrow, June 12. Voting is truly important.