THE CANADA I KNOW

There are many faces of Canada right now that we are pained to see.

The uncovering of the mass graves in residential schools is a case in point.
The on-going struggle to get our economy back on track is another.
The targeted terrorist attack against a Pakistani family a month ago....

We have a long way to go as a nation.
We need healing, reconciliation, and justice before we can experience real peace that transcends our narrow interests and identities.

The Canada that I know when I moved here 11 years ago is a Canada that:

- respects differences and celebrates diversity and inclusion;
- empowers new immigrants to bring their selves into this country and play a vital role in building a nation and economy;
- is a peace and democracy-loving country amongst the nations;
- has a strong and stable government and corruption-free;
- has the best healthcare and educational system in the world;

Definitely, these are superficial facts that foreigners see from the outside- only a tip of the iceberg in terms of the condition of the country and its people. Now I know more but it doesn't give me regrets that I moved here and consider myself a Canadian.

I am proud to be alongside other Canadians in creating a great nation one day at a time, one generation at a time, and one impact at a time. 

Let us not forget too that we are all Canada and what we bring into our communities, represented the best aspirations and attributes of our collective greatness. 

As Andrew Malcolm said about Canada: It's going to be a great country after they're finished unpacking it.

Very true, we are all, a work in progress...
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