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EDITORIAL: Proud to be Canadian

July 2, 2014   ·   0 Comments

Last week I took a much needed vacation and headed for the Cuban border.

My husband and I, who will be married for one year on July 13th, went together as a sort of belated honeymoon / anniversary gift to ourselves.

Being abroad certainly does make you think about what it means to be Canadian, a timely topic given the fact that we celebrated Canada’s 147th birthday on Tuesday. In Cuba, there were many cultures represented. The main tourist body was comprised of Canadians, especially Francophone’s, and a lot of European travellers – representing countries such as Spain and France.

The Cuban people had great respect for their Canadian visitors, with most of them speaking three languages – French, English and Spanish. Even if their English was broken, they understood everything you said and were happy to comply with your requests to make your stay with them the best it could be.

Being submerged in a different culture is great for a short time, but I was ready to come back to Canada after four days (not that I necessarily wanted my vacation to be over!). I missed my Tim Hortons coffee in the morning, and Subway sandwiches. I missed being able to speak to my kids whenever I wanted and being able to drink the tap water. From the simplest things – like properly flushing toilettes and the latest fashions, to the more serious, life changing things, like freedom, access to media, not having to beg for tips to feed your children, access to the outside world and the power to make change.

On the way back to the airport our tour bus was detoured through a residential neighbourhood. The small concrete homes were full of life and activity, with many Cubans sitting outside, gathered in clusters along the roadside chatting, while clotheslines swayed in the ocean breeze. The people looked happy enough, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it was just because they didn’t know what they were missing. Or, perhaps they enjoyed living a simpler life, or, most likely, they didn’t know the difference.

But I know the difference, and when the plane touched down on the tarmac I was never more happy to be home. Getting into my modern car, at the modern airport, and driving through the night, where I wanted and on what roads I wanted – with no military roadblocks or highway tollbooths in sight – I couldn’t have been happier.

I am proud to be a Canadian. I am proud to raise my children as Canadians. I am proud that I live in a country where you can get, do, be and say anything you want, when you want without fear of repercussion. I am proud that I have clean water to serve at my dinner table and access to magazines and uncensored television and the ability to make lifestyle choices that are uniquely mine.

Sure, I like to take time off to experience the simple life, but I wouldn’t want to stay there indefinitely. Life may be complicated in Canada, a country with so many choices – choices we have because of our early settlers, Veterans and the men, women and children who keep striving to make this country the best place to live every day – but it’s what we know, and what we love.

I will never complain about another Canadian winter again. Because like this great country itself, our diversity (even in the seasons) is our strength. This woven tapestry of cultures, choices and freedoms makes for a strong rope, a rope that will reel us back in, no matter how far our travels take us.

Proud. To be. Canadian.

By Wendy Gabrek


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