If there is such a thing as a typical Canadian on this first-of-July day in 2020, he or she might apologize for passing along this greeting—

“Sorry to butt in, but Happy Canada Day, eh?”

This great country of ours was formally proclaimed on 1 July 1867, one-hundred-and-fifty-three years ago.  An amalgam originally of mainly Indigenous peoples, French and British colonizers, and British loyalists from the Thirteen Colonies to the south, we have grown to include ten provinces and three territories, stretching from sea to sea to sea.  And we are home to more than thirty million people, including a veritable mosaic of ethnicity, creed, and native tongues.

We are Canada—the true north, strong and free.

As we celebrate this anniversary, even during the terrible Covid pandemic, there are so many reasons to be grateful for what we have.  And as we take stock of the shortcomings, injustices, and pitfalls our nation has encountered in the drive to ensure equity and prosperity for all our citizens, there is reason to believe that we can and shall do better going forward.

To help you enjoy this Canada Day, you might enjoy listening to this stirring performance of our national anthem, O Canada.  Performed by a virtual choir of 300+ men and women, ranging in age from nine to 80—all under the direction of Jordan Travis, the founder of InstaChoir—it will stir you and renew your faith in what our country stands for—

www.youtube.com/JordanTravis or www.facebook.com/InstaChoirwithJT

Happy Canada Day, eh?