Tag Archives: Canada

And They’re Off!

The writ has dropped. For those of you not familiar with Westminster tradition, that’s just a formal way of saying the Canadian federal election is underway. I am a political junkie. But this is not a political blog and I will for the most part steer clear of this election campaign. I may, over the […]

Happy Canada Day!

Canadians celebrate their country today, which has me thinking about patriotism. We think we have the best country in the world, but citizens of other countries might disagree. I won’t list all the good things that make Canada a great place to live. I have traveled to about 15 countries (which makes me, I think, […]

The Great Charter

I was too young to really appreciate what the document was. It was 1967 and a copy of the Magna Carta was on display at the British Pavilion at Expo ’67 in Montreal. I know I saw it, but I can’t pretend it made any impact. Fourteen years later I saw another copy (or perhaps […]

Truth and Reconciliation?

The truth part is easy. It’s the reconciliation that is going to be difficult. Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission wrapped up its six-year inquiry this week. Modeled after a similar venture in post-Apartheid South Africa, the Commission was struck to hear the stories of the survivors of Canada’s residential schools for Aboriginal students, a system […]

March For Life I – Parliament Hill

Today they have come from all over Canada. This afternoon they will converge on Parliament Hill in an attempt once again to get federal politicians to listen. Most politicians will avoid them as if they have bubonic plague. Their message is politically toxic. Thousands are taking part today in the annual National March For Life. […]

Is This a Cultural Difference?

I am a big believer in tradition. There is something comforting about doing something the same way our ancestors did. It gives us a sense of continuity, of contact with past generations. I am not, however, a Luddite (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/luddite). I do not fear new technology and have frequently been an early adopter of technological innovations, […]