Editorial: Canada Day a tribute to our progress slow may it be

YORKTON - Another year has passed in our country and the nation marked the anniversary with celebrations July 1.

It was, as has become the day to wear red, wave the flag and enjoy camaraderie of others and finish the day with of course fireworks.

As Canadians we have always had a reputation of too much modesty when it comes to our own country. We seem to downplay our accomplishments which go well beyond poutine. As a nation we have accomplished much to be proud of.

Perhaps no greater accomplishment has been achieved than the ability to bring many cultures together and allow them the freedom to still be unique within this confederation.

It is something the founder of Canada back in 1867 would not have envisioned, and in truth there have been notable times we failed miserably as a nation on the rocky road to the greater tolerances of today.

Let us never forget the evil of Indian residential schools, or the confiscation of the property of Japanese Canadians during the second great war, or the interment of more than 8,500 people during the First Word War based on where their families came from – mostly Ukrainian and German immigrants. These and other incidents are huge blemishes on our nation.

And we are still not perfect. You know hatreds still exist in this country and they bubble to the surface more often than good citizens would like, but we also hope we are still inching forward to be better too.

Certainly we continue to grow as a diversified nation, province and city.

Anyone watching the Toronto Blue Jays game July 1, to see nine immigrants from nine different countries become new Canadian citizens had to be moved by the ceremony. It also showed what Canada is, a place people from around the world want to come to.

Too often we see social media posts complaining about the ruination of our country, but it is still a country most are quite happy to become part of, as it has been since confederation.

In Saskatchewan the population reached 1,221,439 as of April 1, 2023, an increase of 6,821 from Jan. 1, 2023.

Much of that growth comes via immigration and with each new arrival we become wonderfully more culturally diverse.

Locally we saw that rich diversity on display each Thursday through June as YBID hosted events at City Centre Park which highlighted many of those cultures – the food, the dance, the smiles of people from varied lands now happily part of our city and our nation.

The YBID events were like a series on mini warm-ups to Canada Day, celebrating our cultural diversity.

Are we perfect as a nation?

Of course not.

We have a blemished history and warts still pop up, but after more than 150 years Canada is still trying as a nation, and frankly we seem to be getting more things right than most nations. Be proud of who and what we are and of what we can still become.