I grew up with a feeling of my country living in the shadow of our southern neighbour. The stereotypes I held were that people from the U.S. were louder, flashier, prouder, and more opinionated than the people I knew in Canada. Growing up in the sixties and seventies, I think that for the most part we truly did live in the shadow of our neighbour, constantly influenced and deeply intermingled with their culture, media, and values.

Canadians, as my Dad described us, were proud, independant, and smart. Dad didn’t think much of Pierre Trudeau, but he loved that he seemed smarter than Richard Nixon. He told me that all the best engineers from A.V. Roe left when our government cancelled the Avro Arrow project, and went to work for NASA in the States. He thought that our people were smart, our leaders were stupid, and the US government was opportunistic. His version of Canadian pride seemed to be framed by resentment.

Looking at Canada and the U.S. today, the differences and similarities are still in force. Collectively, our idiocy and genius are as pronounced as ever, although since 2015, the idiocy level south of the border seems to be tipping the American scales of justice in the wrong direction over and over again. Sadly, some Canadians have taken part in the right-wing anti-vaccine echo chamber, proving that US media bias and radical thinking are as transmissable as Covid, and almost as dangerous to freedom and progressive values.

Let’s stay clear-minded, balanced, and rational up here, and treat ourselves and our fellow citizens with compassion, honesty, justice, and understanding.

When you’re yelling, you’re not listening.

Happy Canada Day.