Editor’s Letter

During my years with Our Canada to date, I’ve come to realize that many Canadians tend to express their patriotism in a comparitively low-key manner. Yes, we of course enjoy our Canada Day parades, big community festivals and downhome family gatherings. Still, you have to admit that it’s relatively rare to encounter overly boisterious speeches at a Canada Day rally, extolling how much greater our country is compared to all the others on the planet. The reason for this, I think, is that we already know in our hearts just how great life can be here in Canada, and we simply see no need to try to convince anyone, anywhere, that “Canada Is Number One!” And so we celebrate with an appropriate amount of flash and fanfare, without going overboard, while remembering the past, enjoying the here and now, and looking forward to an even better future.

I’m mentioning all this now because the main sentiment expressed above reflects what you’ll find on the pages to follow—a slice of our everyday lives as Canadians. Whether it’s one woman’s love and gratitude for the small Alberta town she grew up in (page 30), a present-day teenager’s determination to help the less fortunate in his community by “swimming for food” at his local pool (page 16), or building a career in a highly competitive field that you simply adore (page 26), you’ll soon be reminded that the spirit of Canada remains strong and true. And, without being overly boastful, that is indeed worth celebrating— Happy Canada Day, everyone!