Thoughts on Canada Day

Canada Day. The day when citizens across the country thank their lucky stars that they don’t live south of the border.

Of course, it wasn’t always this way. As immigrants from England, my family first landed in San Francisco. Two years later, we moved to Hamilton, where my father was excited to take on a position at McMaster Hospital and full professorship at the university. For years after that, my siblings and I wondered if our parents hadn’t made a big mistake leaving the U.S. San Francisco is, after all, a pretty awesome city.

One generation later, my two offspring have grown up in a world post 9-11, a world of Trumpism and extreme division in the U.S. which led both of them to frequently affirm their gratitude at living in Canada and,  specifically, not in the U.S.

This past week, the Supreme Court released two decisions, both of which further served to reinforce our gratitude for not living south of the border. The first of these struck down the right of a state to prevent people from being able to carry hidden weapons legally. The second, struck down Roe v Wade.

If we were glad to be Canadian before, we’re positively ecstatic now. Not that any of us can be complacent in the face of a progressively louder anti-progressive movement, both north and south of the border, to both assert non-existent rights (the right not to wear a mask - you can’t be serious!) and to take away fundamental rights like the right to privacy and bodily integrity without state interference. The upcoming protests in Ottawa are an very loud reminder of the need for vigilance.

And don’t get me started on the lack of adequate mental health supports, the depressing state of education, and the complete lack of foresight and intelligence when it comes to energy planning. As well, I am aware that not all Canadians are thrilled to celebrate the Constitution Act. I won’t go there.

By no means is Canada perfect and I, like many, am disappointed in the current political options. But, on balance, as Jeremy Clarkson would say in Top Gear, “It could be worse.” So, happy Canada Day. I just wish Charlie were here to celebrate with us.