The sesquicentennial challenge calls on all of us

Being only a toddler in 1967, I have no direct memories of our centennial. As I grew up, however, I frequently heard what a remarkable year it had been for Canada. The constant playing of my parents’ copy of Bobby Gimby’s Canada song, with its earworm-inducing tune and lyrics, only helped to reinforce the fact that something very special had gone on.

Although disappointed that I had missed our centennial, I found solace in the fact that I would be around for Canada’s sesquicentennial which would undoubtedly be just as significant.

I must confess a little disappointment. As July 1 approaches, there doesn’t seem to be much excitement in the air. Few see this year’s celebration as one that will be etched in our collective memory for generations to come.

Those who remember the centennial might accuse me of creating a golden era that didn’t really exist. After all, 1967 was far from a perfect year. Canada was facing an ongoing national unity crisis, our relations with the United States, mired in the Vietnam War, was tense, and the Middle East was exploding.

Despite all these factors, it still seemed to be an extraordinary time for our country. Contemporary accounts paint a picture of a nation swept up in an unparalleled spirit of exhilaration and optimism. So, what is different? One hundred and fifty years is obviously not as dramatic as 100 years and we have no national focus like Expo 67 to unite the nation. But there are other differences. Attitudes have changed. A cynical public no longer holds our national government and other formal institutions in high regard, making it difficult for our political leaders to rally the nation.

As a country, we are also more aware of our warts, particularly when it comes to our relations with our Indigenous Peoples. The horrors of the residential school system are only one example of past grievous wrongs. Slogans celebrating our nation’s superiority seem a little out of place these days.

The wider world is also troubled. Dissatisfaction seems to lurk around every corner as Western societies become increasingly polarized. Echo chambers have popped up everywhere as each side talks past each other.

As a nation, Canada seems to have become obsessed with the Trump presidency. Have you noticed that small talk is no longer difficult? Once comments about the weather are exhausted, discussion seems to naturally flow to the topic of the U.S. president. First-date conversations must be much easier these days.

And although comments usually focus on the president’s most recent antics, there is also an unease about his activities and how we should respond.

None of this should prevent us from celebrating. Canada’s history may be far from perfect but there is still much about our past achievements that should fill us with pride.

Our celebrations, however, shouldn’t be insular. We can’t ignore all that is happening in the world. Although we are not immune from the trends that sweep our allies, we seem to have avoided the worst of it which, from one perspective, is surprising.

Let’s face it, we are essentially an ungovernable country — so vast and diverse that it seems impossible that we could function. And yet, we have somehow made it work. How? Canadians, I would argue, have a strong sense of civility. What the U.S. scholar Stephen L. Carter defines as “the sum of many sacrifices we are called to make for the sake of living together.”

We have used that civility to achieve great things. We have figured out how two dominant languages and cultures, English and French, could not only coexist but come together to create a bilingual and bicultural nation. And if that was not enough of a challenge, we slowly opened our borders to countless other languages, cultures and religions and created a multicultural society that has avoided ghettoization and artificial melting pots. And now, although admittedly late to the game, we are finally taking some important steps toward reconciliation with our Indigenous Peoples.

Achieving these goals has involved all of us giving a little. A Canadian, the old joke goes, is the only person on Earth who apologizes to you when you step on their foot. Behind that stereotype of the overly polite Canadians lies some truth. Canadians are prepared to do what it takes to be a little more welcoming, a little more considerate and a little more understanding to live together in peace.

I am not naïve. There are countless examples of Canadians being uncivil to each other, and our sesquicentennial creates two challenges for us. First, to continue to promote and develop our nation’s sense of civility against all the modern pressures that seem to be tearing us apart. The second is to discover, in a low-key Canadian way, how our sense of civility might assist a wider world that seems to have gone mad.