Once this newspaper comes out on Canada Day, we’re pressed to find something to say about this country of ours.
It’s not an easy task, since we know many people will be out all day, celebrating the day in their respective communities, or taking advantage of the long weekend.
Those who are off enjoying the break are sure to take in Canada’s splendor during their travels, and perhaps later, folks who stuck around the mid-Island, will return home and find their papers waiting for them and then catch up on local stories about their neighbours and the places and events that keep the region humming.
And perhaps even read this editorial.
So, after all that we’ve done today, what is there left to say about Canada?
We enjoy this country every day — whether we actually take a moment to realize it or not.
Some might claim it’s only due to good luck that we were born here at all — leaving many of us to take for granted our freedoms. Heck, not only the freedoms, but the friendly people, amazing sights and simply the ability to breath fresh air whenever we’d like to do that.
For others, like the two people from Nanaimo who recently worked hard to win their Canadian citizenship (see our story in today’s paper), they are celebrating Canada Day every day. Marking it only on July 1 might not, as a result, even occur to some recent citizens.
One day just might not be enough.
In those terms, then, we all can know that each day we wake, we are living in Canada. It might not be perfect in many respects, but it’s a country that big enough to admit its mistakes, try to clean them up and put things right again.
All things being equal, then, aren’t you glad you’re in Canada? — editorial by Steven Heywood