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Jacqueline’s story – Canadian
I was born here - Canada chose me rather than I chose to stay.
When I was 16, I had the opportunity to go on a bus trip to the US. We
were going to Disneyland, San Diego Zoo and Las Vegas. I was excited as
what I had seen on the television of the US was it was a great place to
live - even better than Canada.
My mind has forever been changed about any country being better that Canada since that trip to the US. There is no better place on earth than Canada.
Canada is clean - that is the first thing I noticed upon leaving. Canadians are worldly. At 16, I knew more about the world than the average adult American that I met. Canada is a safe place to be because Canada is synonymous with multicultural peace. Canada is also cold winters but with every cloud there is a silver lining - winter kills a lot of the nasty diseases. Sure we had SARS but in any other country it would have been much worse. And as Canadians we did the truly Canadian thing – we united to combat the SARS problem.
In my experiences, I find that Canadians are not arrogant relying on someone else to tell them what to think and believe, rather quietly proud and capable of making up our own minds on issues and topics even in the face of great adversity. Being Canadian means accepting a culture of multiculturalism. After all, there is only one race on this planet and it is the human race. We need to seek peace first and only fight for what is right - not just because. This is the example Canada has set and I am proud to teach my children that example.
Larry’s
story –Canadian - Excepts from his story “The Hockey Child
– The Bonds That Endure”
Looking back at my childhood, two memories are very clear. One is hockey. The second, is the guys and families that became part of playing Canada’s game.
For me, playing hockey was more than Monday practices, and Saturday morning games. It was about the life lessons the game taught us - Learning to get along with others, sportsmanship, and most of all, how to work as a team.
Hockey brought 17 guys together and their families. Our parents became friends, our sisters and brothers became friends, and even the coaches, conveners, & refs (all of whom were sometimes our own fathers), became a big part of each hockey season.
It’s hard to pinpoint one particular thing that made playing hockey such an important part of growing up. I would have to say it was a combination of many things including the coaches, parents, and the kids I played with. Each of them played a large role in the lessons I learned about life as a child.
You could look up into the crowd and find it was always filled with family and friends. They cheered us on and gave us a nod or a thumbs up when we looked up into the crowd at them to see how proud of us they were. You could see the disappointment in their eyes when we didn’t play with pride or dignity - giving us that extra push to be the best we could be. In doing so, they created 17 guys that were always welcome Ambassadors to their country when they traveled state side for weekend tournaments. I will always remember being told while playing hockey in the US that “Canadians are so nice.” Nothing made me prouder to be Canadian than those words.
Many people come in and out of our lives from the day we start playing hockey, to the day that one by one we play our last games, but some of them will never be forgotten. Some of the greatest guys I have ever met sat there beside me on those minor hockey benches - Some of the nicest families I knew stood in the stands across from us. They all remain in a part of my heart that will always remember why hockey is such an important part of being Canadian.
Maureen’s
story - Canadian
I am 4th generation on my mother's side and the daughter of a Lithuanian
immigrant family on my dad's side. I have traveled and lived in several
other countries. Having been fortunate enough to have an education, I
could make career and life choices with some range of options. I sat down
one summer evening on the coast of California and thought about where
in the whole wide world I wanted to live my life. Canada...the answer
was clear and resonant.
I love the land, the frank, modest and decent people, the balance, the
love of nature and the dry, self-effacing and wonderful humour. This is
a country of great tolerance and inclusion.
Canada is where my heart is...."somewhere beyond the timberline".
Lawrence’s
story - Canadian
I am a proud Canadian living in Tucson, Arizona. I enjoy living in Arizona
because of the warm and dry climate and my love of the desert, but I must
say that I always miss Canada, and from time to time really do get homesick
for my native homeland. I will always be extremely thankful for all that
Canada was able to provide for my family and me.
I am a first-generation Canadian, born to parents who came to Canada in
1949 from war-torn Ukraine. My father suffered immensely under Stalin’s
régime, when during the Great Famine of 1932-33, he nearly died
of starvation. My parents moved to England after the war, and had the
choice of going to Australia, Brazil, USA or Canada. They chose Canada,
and settled in Saskatoon. My father, who had arrived penniless in Canada,
had successfully built three autobody garages during the 1960’s.
We celebrated his business successes by appropriately taking a driving
trip to Montréal to visit Expo ’67, as we drove our brand
new car and pulled our brand new trailer all the way from Saskatoon, making
stops in Canadian cities along the way.
My parents made sure that all of his four children received a good education,
as they provided all four of us with a university education. In Canada,
one doesn’t need to be rich to send their four children to college.
Thanks to Canada, my parents and all of their children have been able
to enjoy a good and comfortable life, and this is something for which
I feel greatly indebted to Canada.
We were Ukrainians growing up, speaking a mix of Russian and Ukrainian
at home. I didn’t learn to speak English until I was in about Grade
1. Yet despite the fact that we were “Ukrainians”, we considered
ourselves Canadians. I was proud of my country growing up, and made every
effort to learn our other official language, eventually becoming fluent
in French. Today, especially living in the US, I am particularly proud
to tell others that I am Canadian. Usually one of the first questions
people ask me is if I speak French, to which I can proudly answer, “Yes!”
There are differences between living in the Canada and the US. The biggest
difference is that I find Canada to be a much more open and liberal society,
more accepting of all peoples. I find Canadians to be more knowledgeable
about the world outside their borders, as I find Americans to have a very
poor knowledge of things that are not American. I find the healthcare
system to be much better in the sense that healthcare is universal in
Canada. It is fairer, and that’s the way I think it should be, because
everyone should have access to a doctor or a hospital, regardless of his
or her economic circumstances. As anyone may succumb to a serious illness
or disease, I don’t think it is fair that a person could be denied
access to healthcare because it is unaffordable, or that someone is forced
into great debt as a result of a serious illness.
We truly have a wonderful country. I have been fortunate to visit every
province, except Newfoundland and the three territories. And what a beautiful
country it is! I think fondly of such beautiful places like Vancouver
Island, Banff, certain places on the Prairies, the beautiful beaches along
the Great Lakes, the St. John River Valley and Lunenburg and Peggy’s
Cove, just to name a few. I miss Canada and I try to visit Canada as often
as I can. I still read the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix everyday (on-line),
as well as other Canadian news sites. I am always curious to see what
the weather is like some days in different places in Canada, so I will
check the weather in Saskatoon and might even see how cold it is in Baker
Lake. I am still very interested in what goes on in Canadian life and
especially in what is happening in my hometown, Saskatoon. I really miss
having access to the CBC or Radio-Canada on my television everyday. I
think that these are some of the finest institutions in the world, not
to mention the National Film Board of Canada.
Thanks for promoting Canada through this project. I am very proud to say,
“I am Canadian.”
Rolly’s
story - Canadian
I have been to other places around the world...from as far as Denmark
to as close as Prince Edward Island but I always look forward to coming
back to my home in the Nation's Capital. Canada is a clean, friendly country
that opens its arms to the world. I couldn't dream of living anywhere
else. My only issue is political but that is only temporary.
Canada is the greatest nation in the world and the greatest compliment the world gives us is the fact that so many people leave their homeland in search of a better life and their first choice is usually Canada.
I AM CANADIAN...CHEERS!!!