There's very little "Canada" left in "Canadian"

I first began to notice this with the so called “Canada Day” celebrations, this year. The airwaves were full of self-congratulating promoters touting the various multicultural events that were planned. However, there wasn’t even a single mention of our pioneer nation-builders who built this country with the sweat of their brows, and who lie forgotten in its soil. Indeed, from all the multicultural hype one would get the impression that Canada—at least culturally—began with the first plane load of immigrants to land at Pearson International Airport.

Nor did these Canada Day celebrations mention all the Canadian accomplishments for which we can be proudly Canadian. For example: The longest street in the world (Yonge Street, 1187.1 mi) was built between the 1790s &1812; the discovery of insulin was a Canadian accomplishment; the standardization of time was also a Canadian innovation; as was the game of basketball. The list goes on and on, of course, but the point is that things Canadian get swept under the carpet in favour of foreign imports, and this just isn’t right. In fact, it is downright shameful!

Multiculturalism is fine, but it isn’t Canadian. It is what it implies, i.e. an amalgam of various cultures that are being superimposed over an indigenous Canadian history and culture by a few effete, trend-setters, who view anything imported a being terruhbly chic. Meanwhile, Canadian history and traditions are being superseded in school curricula to the point where they will soon be forgotten altogether.

My personal gripe has to do with my latest novel, Nor All Thy Tears: Journey to Big Sky. It is a story set in the farming community of Pefferlaw, Ontario, as well as Toronto, Ottawa, and the ending includes Big Prairie Sky Country, Saskatchewan. In other words, it couldn’t be more Canadian if it was wrapped in the flag and drizzled with maple syrup. Yet, I had to go out of the country to have it published, and presently Amazon-Canada has it listed as “Currently unavailable.” [It’s available on Amazon.com].

I’m not arguing the merits of the story here—although it has received a five-star review—but at least offer it for sale in the author’s home country and let the readers decide.