Canada, My Canada. You don’t know what you've got till it’s gone

(But I think it might end up worse than a parking lot. Note: Song Canada, My Canada button below. See Canada, my Canada Song button below picture.

What ingredients come together to form a country's character? There is some commonality in the mix of values, aspirations, religion, and social attitudes—mysterious forces shaped and moulded by the country’s culture and history. Despite Justin Trudeau prattling on about Canada being the world’s first post-national country, Canada has a national character. 

Trudeau’s comment was the thoughtless outburst of a posturing pseudo-intellectual who had just watched someone use a phrase on TikTok and was now clumsily test-driving their shiny new words. It meant nothing. 

My personal history is unexceptional but still reflective of this country.  It merges badly into what many hope will be our new national character, like trying to connect two differently gauged railroad tracks. 

My maternal grandfather fought in the WWI and was wounded at Passchendaele. My paternal grandmother came to Canada from Kerrykeel, Ireland; their family was tired of the overweening English.  She arrived as a twelve-year-…