Cynics Unlimited

It’s number 139 for the Great White North – day to celebrate the nation and … do something other than work. So before I go to my scheduled event and tie a few on, here is a list of CU’s top 10 great things about Canada.

10) Landscape
Rocky mountains, Artic tundra, marshland, the Canadian Shield … few nations have a greater variety in climates and landscapes.

9) Healthcare System
The bottom line for Canada’s healthcare system is simple: general sickness will not break your bank. We will argue for eternity what other procedures should and shouldn’t be included under provincial healthcare plans, but when someone falls ill, his/her first concern is rarely whether (s)he can “afford” to live.

International Reputation
.. Well at least no one hates Canada. Even prior to Canada’s career as a peacekeeping nation (which seems to be coming to an end), the nation has been on the humanitarian side of most wars. Immigration legislation from John Diefenbaker and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms enshrined Canada as a nation committed to justice and opportunity for all people.

7) You can have your Point of View
… Without fear of being killed or persecuted. Even Canada’s hate crime laws still allow for a large range of views that may be found offensive to some. Furthermore, people with largely opposite views typically fight their battles in newspapers and TV debates. The only “slaughters” tend to be of the intellectual variety.

6) Voters have a Choice
In Canada, a liberal is a liberal, rather than being lumped together with the left in a conspiratorial manner. The true left wing votes NDP, which does a sufficient job of being beholden to unions and social causes. The Conservative Party of Canada is a standard center-right party, while previous parties like the Reform Party of Canada tended to the needs of social conservatives. In other words, Canadian votes needn’t necessarily be funneled into large and contradictory tents. Recent history has shown that it is possible to start a new party based on an idea and achieve moderate success.

5) Cultural Diversity
Long before Trudeau’s multicultural policy, Canada consisted of distinct peoples. Since the English-French complex, waves of immigrants have come from the Ukraine, India, China and Italy among other places. While nearly all migrants eventually assimilate into the fabric of Canada, the traditions they bring with them nonetheless alter that fabric to encompass the best that the entire world has to offer. Cultural diversity can also be seen geographically – the rites and traditions in Newfoundland differ profoundly from those in Ontario or Alberta. Variety is the spice of life.

4) Religious Freedom
Christians, Hindus, Muslims and others are free to follow their strict moral codes without fear of persecution or widespread discrimination. Complaints from religious zealots in Canada amount to bemoaning the fact that they are unable to force the entire nation to follow their moral codes or the imagined moral codes of days gone by. This attitude runs counter to the idea of religious freedom, which inherently includes freedom from religion.

3) Wide open spaces
Very overlooked – Canada has plenty of room to roam outside the urban landscapes. This allows a lot of room for future expansion and for the general appreciation of nature – one of Canada’s greatest resources.

2) High Standard of Living
What is considered “impoverished” in Canada is middle class or better in most of the world. Only a few areas of the nation have housing markets so hot that the average family cannot afford to buy a single detached home. Apart from the aforementioned health care, education is free or can be obtained via national and provincial loan systems that have reasonable repayment terms. Police are relatively uncorrupt. Even the UN has consistently placed Canada in the top 10 nations.

1) People Can Make it in Canada
No matter where you come from, you have the opportunity to make at least a sustainable living for yourself in Canada. The nation’s legal code satisfies the conservative principle of personal prosperity being possible, while social services and the general attitude of the nation make personal prosperity probable. Having been “knocked down” a few times myself, I’ve always admired how there were always other options in terms of job training and education. Bottom line – if you want to be successful, there IS a way to do it. The ride may not always be smooth, but the landing is typically safe.

With the amount of partisan bitching that goes on in the mainstream and independent media, it is nice to consider the positive aspects of our nation once in awhile.