Canada Day is approaching. It's been one of my favourite days of the year since I was a child, and it remains such now.
I've long maintained two things. One, I hit the jackpot when I was born, raised and educated in this country, and I continue to reap the benefits of being Canadian. I know there's a lot of people out there who disagree with me, and some have very valid reasons to express anger with our nation, but I'm forever grateful to be Canadian.
Two, our country punches above its weight, perhaps more than any other country in the world. We are a nation of just over 41 million, but we are one of the economic powerhouses in the world, a member of the G7 and a highly respected country on the international stage.
We're blessed with hard-working and brilliant people, we have a wealth of natural resources that is the envy of most other nations, and we do it all even though we're north of the world's most powerful nation.
There are countries with more than double our population who wish they could accomplish what we have. And there are so many people around the world who wish they could live here.
I've noticed a real groundswell in national pride over the past year; it's likely at the highest level since the days following the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I think we all know why.
The absurd comments from U.S. President Donald Trump about annexing Canada and making it the 51st state – and about the Canada-U.S. border being an imaginary line – angered anyone with even the slightest patriotic leanings.
I've long believed that the idea of not being American is part of our national identity. It shows in the more moderate approach we take to life. And so when the bully president of the U.S. and his followers say we should be swallowed up into his nation, we're going to ditch our modesty in favour of fury.
Trump's backed off on the 51st state rhetoric a lot since the April 28 federal election (and frankly, it's been reduced since Justin Trudeau's time as prime minister came to a merciful end).
His tariffs and trade war have also forced many of us to turn away from U.S. products whenever possible.
But Trump's illogical comments have still had an impact. We're thinking about our country in a different way. We've shown a greater commitment to purchasing Canadian goods, perhaps more than ever before. (We're seeing this shift in advertising, with American companies are talking about their connections to Canada).
We're seeing businesses emphasizing Canadian products, because they know a lot of us are thinking about Canadian goods and services more than ever before. If we're going to spend a little bit more to buy Canadian, many will say that's okay.
I don't know how long this is going to last. It won't be permanent. But it's good for our economy that we're going to bat for our businesses at a time of economic uncertainty.
Many of us are also looking to spend more time in our country and support Canadian tourist attractions, rather than going to the U.S. or elsewhere. And we have so much to see in this country.
Is our country perfect? Absolutely not. But no country is. Every nation is going to have negative moments in its history. We certainly do on a number of different fronts. And we're facing the consequences of our history today. We're taking steps to address the generational issues, but we also have to remember the work will never end.
But so many positives have occurred in our history, and those continue to yield positive results today. Our military has accomplished much, and we've made great contributions to business, health, education, technology, innovation, diplomacy, economics, athletics, the arts and so many other fields. (If you want to learn more, those Heritage Moments released by the federal government many years ago are a great tool).
Was it difficult to have pride in our leader during the Trudeau years? Absolutely. But we live in a country where we can vote in a free and democratic fashion. We might not have liked the election results, but we didn't have to worry about voter intimidation at the polling stations, or the possibility of violence if we vote against the government, or the possibility of our election being rigged. We don't have to worry about criminal charges if we oppose or criticize the government, and the opposition doesn't have to worry about threats of violence from the government.
Billions of people around the world would cherish what we have here if they were given the opportunity.
So as Canada Day approaches, let's take the time to reflect and think about who we are, the things that have happened and the direction we're heading. And let's celebrate who we are, the accomplishments we've had and the potential of our nation.
