We’ve all grown up with a certain perspective about Canada, what it means to be Canadian, how we wish to be perceived as Canadians. Our Canada has always been a country where looking after each other was more important than getting ahead, making more money and acquiring more stuff. Where the words “social safety net” were not sneered at or feared but were something to aspire to. Where women could be proud of their hard-won rights and look forward to an even brighter future for their daughters. Where nobody would be denied quality health care because they couldn’t afford it. Where immigrants and refugees could come with their families and forge a better life, and at the same time, enrich us with their thoughts and customs. Where we understood and appreciated the wild beauty and vastness of this land, and tried our best to preserve it and keep it safe. A country where people could speak their minds, whether it was their own opinion or to expose wrongdoing they’d discovered, without fear of persecution. A country which was regarded in the International Community as a non-partisan bastion of human rights, dedicated to fostering peace and justice in the world.
Since 2006, slowly, and sometimes not so subtly, we’ve seen our Canada change and become tarnished. We’ve seen long-cherished values, and hard-won rights and achievements be unceremoniously swept away and buried, covered up under blatant lies. We’ve seen our country’s global reputation reduced from being admired and respected and even loved, to being the subject of anger, ridicule and yes, even loathing.
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