The first of July is for beer.
Canada Day is never the huge deal that Independence Day is. I think it has something to do with the fact that Americans tossed the Brits out on their asses, and we just waited patiently for them to get tired of the whole "colonial" business and leave on their own. Hurrah, wave your flag, for on this day, in 1868, we, uh, said thanks to the Queen for signing the Statue of Westminster. Hmm. Not very blood-stirring, that. Let's go have a hotdog and mingle politely with our fellow Canadians. Yes, lets.
I do love my country. In the way that one loves one's parents, which is to say with fondness and exasperation and sometimes you just want to be left alone, is that alright? I don't need to prove it all the time. I have a life of my own! The concept of Canada is nebulous to Canadians. We know that we are a nation, but if you put a gun to the average citizen's head and shouted at them to list ten "Canadian" attributes, they'd be stuck at around no. 5, the ability to pronounce "toque."
Perhaps that is the defining Canadian attribute. Our non-nationalism. The only thing we really seem to get fired up about is making sure that people know we AREN'T AMERICAN. Despite the way that we casually co-opt any and all of their entertainment and culture that we like, and casually linger under the enormous umbrella of their military might. I'm sure that part of the reason we have the longest undefended border in the world is that neither nation wants to fuck with the economics. It would be like attacking one's Siamese twin. We Canadians like to pretend that we are more friendly, less aggressive, not so much with the arrogant rah-rah, multi-culturalism instead of melting pot, yadda yadda. We invented the UN Peacekeepers. We haven't been the aggressors in any war, ever! I wonder what we would be like without our older, tougher sibling down South, ready to sneer and wave their big, aggressive stick around in defense of the North American Dream that both countries live.
And yet. I'm still glad that I'm Canadian and not American. My government is smaller, less intrusive, charmingly amateur in its infighting and secret plots. My country is huge, and the population 1/10 that of the States. Religion and the state are firmly, inarguably seperate. Our international legacy is largely benign - Peacekeepers, Vimy Ridge, our lenient policies on political asylum (although we could still be doing more, we are demonstrably ahead of the curve) and so on. As a cultural identity goes, you can do a lot worse than "friendly neighbor."
So happy Canada Day, fellow hosers. Let's have a beer, eh? Play some Tragically Hip, those guys rock. I'll see you over by the hot dog stand.
I do love my country. In the way that one loves one's parents, which is to say with fondness and exasperation and sometimes you just want to be left alone, is that alright? I don't need to prove it all the time. I have a life of my own! The concept of Canada is nebulous to Canadians. We know that we are a nation, but if you put a gun to the average citizen's head and shouted at them to list ten "Canadian" attributes, they'd be stuck at around no. 5, the ability to pronounce "toque."
Perhaps that is the defining Canadian attribute. Our non-nationalism. The only thing we really seem to get fired up about is making sure that people know we AREN'T AMERICAN. Despite the way that we casually co-opt any and all of their entertainment and culture that we like, and casually linger under the enormous umbrella of their military might. I'm sure that part of the reason we have the longest undefended border in the world is that neither nation wants to fuck with the economics. It would be like attacking one's Siamese twin. We Canadians like to pretend that we are more friendly, less aggressive, not so much with the arrogant rah-rah, multi-culturalism instead of melting pot, yadda yadda. We invented the UN Peacekeepers. We haven't been the aggressors in any war, ever! I wonder what we would be like without our older, tougher sibling down South, ready to sneer and wave their big, aggressive stick around in defense of the North American Dream that both countries live.
And yet. I'm still glad that I'm Canadian and not American. My government is smaller, less intrusive, charmingly amateur in its infighting and secret plots. My country is huge, and the population 1/10 that of the States. Religion and the state are firmly, inarguably seperate. Our international legacy is largely benign - Peacekeepers, Vimy Ridge, our lenient policies on political asylum (although we could still be doing more, we are demonstrably ahead of the curve) and so on. As a cultural identity goes, you can do a lot worse than "friendly neighbor."
So happy Canada Day, fellow hosers. Let's have a beer, eh? Play some Tragically Hip, those guys rock. I'll see you over by the hot dog stand.
posted by Karla Andrich at
9:08 AM
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