Canada just celebrated its 146th birthday this week, which means very little to the rest of the world — except perhaps to our visitors from the south who asking why we celebrated July 4 three days early.
But while we aren’t overly demonstrative about our patriotism — Canadian schools don’t start each day with a flag ceremony, for example — we are, as a whole, quietly proud of our country and our nation. There are many misconceptions about Canada out there. We don’t say “aboot” and the land isn’t covered in snow and ice most of the year — as record breaking temperatures came across the province aptly demonstrated.
And we don’t all love hockey, though if you were of an age in 1972, each and every one of us can tell you where we were when Paul Henderson scored “the goal heard round the world.”
It’s the kind of quiet patriotism that leads to us turning out in record numbers here in Penticton not just for the fireworks in the evening sponsored by the Lakeside Resort or the bands playing in the Gyro Park bandshell, but for a quieter start to the day at the annual Canada Day pancake breakfast. Quota International, one of the groups organizing the event, reports that their tent sold more pancakes and sausages than any other year.
“It is that one special day when we, as a nation, come together and celebrate all that we love about our country,” said Okanagan-Coquihalla MP Dan Albas.
There are many stereotypes about Canadians — most of them exist because they’re true. We do say please and thank you a lot, and as Penticton’s Shane Koyczan resoundingly put it, We Are More (http://youtu.be/VWZwIpvGQXw). And yes, we do say “eh?” a lot.
But given the choice between that and “huh?” let’s stick with eh, eh?