"Celebrating 136 Years"

July 22, 2003

July 1st has always been one of my favourite days of the year.  And just as my appreciation for Remembrance Day has become even stronger thanks to the privilege of participating in those events as a Member of Parliament, the past ten Canada Days have been particularly rewarding for me as well. 

This year, I joined the residents of Fort St. John as they celebrated Canada’s 136th birthday.  In spite of their parade being cancelled due to rain, I’m confident that the pride and patriotism I witnessed was repeated throughout the constituency of Prince George-Peace River.  I’ve noticed in the days leading up to Canada Day 2003 that some of the national media have been preoccupied with defining patriotism and identifying which Canadians are most patriotic and what it “means to be Canadian”. 

Patriotism defies description, definition or comparison.  Pride in your country comes from the heart, and can mean different things to different people depending upon personal experiences and backgrounds.  Still, each year at this time, the pollsters set out to test our knowledge of Canadian history, geography and current events.  The sometimes poor results prompt an outpouring of disappointment from historians and politicians.  

While I too would prefer that more Canadians, particularly our youth, were more cognizant of our country’s history and the sacrifices made by our military veterans, it doesn’t make them any less patriotic or proud to be Canadian. 

This year, one Canada Day poll even sought to gauge our level of patriotism according to ethnicity or country of birth.  And then of course there are always the comparisons to July 4th celebrations in the United States. 

I believe that at the age of 136, Canada has matured beyond such matters.  Most Canadians aren’t worried about how to define ourselves as Canadian.  The fact that so many of us simply join our family, friends, neighbours and communities to commemorate Canada Day speaks for itself. 

At one Canada Day event this week, you can be certain that the participants weren’t worried about polls on patriotism.  The crew of the HMCS Regina returned to port in Eqsuimalt on July 1st following a tour of duty that began in early February.  Upon reuniting with family and returning home to Canada after policing the seas in the Persian Gulf area, the Regina’s crew weren’t likely to have needed anyone to tell them what it means to be Canadian! 

I’ve always closely observed, both from a personal and professional perspective, the missions and activities of Canada’s military, but this year that interest will become a primary focus.  Late last month, Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper appointed me the Official Opposition’s National Defence critic.

With the increased awareness of terrorist threats and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, Canadians have gained a renewed appreciation for the sacrifices made by our armed forces personnel and their families.  Unfortunately, this appreciation is seldom reflected in the actions of the federal government.  It will now be my challenge to hold them accountable for their lack of support for our military men and women.  I can think of no better time to shoulder this responsibility than Canada's birthday.