Skip to content

EDITORIAL: Canada ' a fantastic place to live'

We can and should aim higher – to unleash our power as a nation.

Canadians are famous for being quiet patriots.

But we’ll say it anyway, Canada is the best country in the world.

We’re doing things right on most fronts. When we read about world affairs, we shake our heads at the atrocities happening.

Whether it’s the geopolitical turmoil in a place like Ukraine, the sectarian rifts in Iraq or the human rights atrocities in Nigeria – Canadians can be thankful we have none of those problems.

We’re not cultural relativists. We’re proud of how stable, secure and peaceful this country is.

That’s why so many people want to come here.

While the United States has a greater raw number of immigrants arriving every year, on a per-capita basis Canada opens its doors to a lot more.

And there’s no shortage of hopes and dreams for the future among thoughtful Canadians of all backgrounds. We’re still looking forward, not back.

We have some pimples, who doesn’t?

We are lacking leadership on the enormous challenge of climate change, where Canada has shamefully lagged.

The country also needs to address Canada’s original “two solitudes” – the vast and stubborn gulf between Canada and its indigenous nations.

The growing urban-rural divides: differences in populations and values are playing out in attitudes on issues like immigration, environmental regulation and gun control.

The truth is we can do better.

But today, on Canada Day, the overriding theme is potential, the limitless possibilities offered by a country that is by any measure one of the most successful, prosperous and just ever known – “a fantastic place to live,” as author Margaret Atwood says.

We can and should aim higher – to unleash our power as a nation.

Happy Canada Day!