Reflections on Canada Day and what it means to be Canadian
Here at Stewart Greens, we wanted to reflect on what it means to be Canadian and how that informs our values. We came up with some answers that really spoke to us and we wanted to share them with you!
To be Canadian is to be Tolerant
Canada is a gorgeous, beautiful place to be. But Canadians have had to band together for a common goal to accomplish great things. Hence, our capacity to “stand on guard for thee” is in large part bound by how well we can stand together. Furthermore, multi-culturalism and freedoms of association, religion, and thought are engraved in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Therefore we stand for the values of tolerance and embracing diversity.
To be Canadian is to be Kind
A nation is shaped by the character of its residents. Kindness is an ideal that has defined the self-perception of Canadians for generations. We are consistently stereotyped as polite and kind, but we have to continue to maintain it as more than an empty stereotype but as a genuine truth.
To be Canadian is to be Resilient
Canadians have always overcome the obstacles in their way to being the nation it is today. From fighting at Vimy Ridge to building the Canadian Pacific Railway, Canada’s collective resilience prevailed over obstacles. Now we have to continue to build on this ideal and create a better Canada and a better world it was than when we came into it.
To be Canadian is to be Resourceful
Speaking of resilience, another quality that goes hand-in-hand with that is resourcefulness. We here at Stewart Greens are always trying to be resourceful and innovative, and we think this is a uniquely Canadian quality that helps define who we are.
So to conclude, it’s important for us to reflect on the positive traits that have defined us and attempt to pass those traits on to our successors. This Canada Day, think about what you define those traits as. This is just our interpretation!