Path: utzoo!lsuc!atha!ncc!apss!jhp
From: jhp@apss.ab.ca (Herb Presley, Emergency Planning Officer)
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Canada: one or two cultures?
Summary: What are you?
Message-ID: <1458@apss.apss.ab.ca>
Date: 26 Jul 89 21:49:33 GMT
References: <615662921.9256@myrias.uucp> <568@UALTAVM.BITNET> <609@philmtl.philips.ca>
Distribution: can
Organization: Alberta Public Safety Services
Lines: 50

In article <609@philmtl.philips.ca>, tremblay@philmtl.philips.ca (Michel Tremblay) writes:
> In article <89Jul19.104948edt.18727@me.utoronto.ca> flint@me.utoronto.ca (Kenneth Flint) writes:
> >In article <604@philmtl.philips.ca> tremblay@philmtl.philips.ca (Michel J. Tremblay) writes:
> >>Please keep in mind that most people in Que'bec dont really care 
> >>about Canada (Day).
> > 
> >If this statement is true, then I guess I shouldn't have been surprised
> >by the Gallop poll released this week that stated the majority of
> >english speaking Canada believes it is Que'bec's goal to separate from
> >the country.
> >
> >In my opinion we would be losing a vibrant part of our culture.
> 
> I dont know how you can talk about 'our (canadian) culture' without using
> plurial.  Canada like many other countries (Swiss, Belgium...) do not have a 
> true culture but is composed of a many cultures. For Canada that is an 
> English Canadian culture and a French Canadian culture. The English Canadian 
> culture (that I assume you are part of) would not lose anything in the event 
> of a Que'bec separation. With or without separation, anyone who care may
> enjoy our 'vibrant' French Canadian culture.

Are you a Canadian?  Then any other addition to the name is a qualifier and
thus you are 'qualifying' your Canadian citizenship.  I don't know about you
but where I come from, if you qualify your committment to something, it usually
means you really are not committed to the true value represented by that to 
which you say your are committed.

I come from an 'Irish' heritage, yet I do not say that I am an Irish Candian,
or a part of an Irish Candian Culture.  I was either born or naturalized a
Canadian citizen, and I am committed to Canada as a country, from east to west,
north to south, and to its people, whether or French, English, Ukranian, Irish,
Scottish, etc., descent.  

There may be bigotry, prejudice, crime, poor government, or many other ills
that inevitably come when you have a mosaic of people and cultures, but
compared to much of the rest of the countries of the world, I don't think I
would or could live anywhere else.

A country is both a geographic location and a mosaic of people.  There aren't
many others outside of Canada where you can travel up to 3000+ miles (or the
equivalent in kms :-)), cross as many borders and meet such a rich diversity of 
people without hassle or challenge.

If you really want to know what it means to be a Canadian, get in your car
sometime and travel the Canadian highway system.  Stop at Moncton, Sherbrooke,
Lachine, Portage la Prairie, Biggar, Lac La Biche, Golden.  Get out of your
car, talk to the people, smell the fresh air.  Listen to the sounds.  See the
mountains, the great lakes, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.  Canada will no
longer be qualified, but will be who she is, a great country filled with great
people and places.