Celebrating What it Means to Be Canadian

June 27, 2007

What does it mean to be Canadian? That’s a question most adults find difficult to answer in a comprehensible manner. Of course, when all else fails … ask a child. On this Canada Day we can thank a group of young school children from Fort St. John for clearly showing us that kindness and compassion for others is a significant part of our Canadian spirit.

It began when generous members of the community took it upon themselves to brighten the lives of children who needed comfort through some difficult days. The finishing touches were beautifully carried-out by the students and staff at Bert Ambrose Elementary School. The outcome is moving and touching and it has only just begun….

The children of Canadian Forces personnel deployed to Afghanistan don’t get to see their mommies and daddies for months. They miss birthdays and holidays together, hugs and getting tucked into bed. And yes, they live with the fear that their mom and dad might not come home.

Thanks to local generosity and coordination, roughly 320 students at Bert Ambrose school found themselves with Teddy Bears to share with children whose parents serve at CFB Edmonton. Children who could use a little extra reassurance and cheer.

The principal and staff dedicated their time and energy towards helping their students write and attach personal notes to these teddy bears. Notes that conveyed appreciation for giving up their parents to serve our country. Notes that conveyed friendship and understanding.

If I could grade their work, I’d give them an A+. But I don’t have to because the response and comments from the parents, teachers and students at Guthrie School in Edmonton speak to the success of this school project.

One mother wrote to a local newspaper that her kindergarten-aged son came home from school one day with his precious teddy bear. The attached note read ‘thank you for what your mom or dad does for Canada’. She reported her son goes to bed clutching his new bear in his arms and she wrote, “thankfully, we live in a nation where our children can go to bed peacefully.”

Bert Ambrose Principal Doug McCracken reports that every student who wrote a note received a reply in return! The responses have come by regular mail, by priority post, via telephone calls. One Guthrie student’s letter read, “I miss my daddy when he goes away … I love my bear.”

Some students have felt comfortable in giving their home addresses so they can continue to keep in touch with their new penpals in Edmonton over the summer. I find it very heart-warming that a child who is missing their mom or dad might find comfort in hugging their special teddy bear or by writing to a new friend.

I am so proud of the students and staff and Bert Ambrose Elementary School. I am so proud of the members of the community who found a way to make life a bit easier for our soldiers and their families. I am so proud to call this my home. I am so proud to be Canadian.

Happy Canada Day!