Happy Canada Day !!!

July 1st is our National Holiday where we celebrate being Canadians. Yes , I know, everyone loves the country where they’re from but all things considered, there are an awful lot of things about being a Canadian that I’m thankful for. And yes, I’m aware that like all countries, Canada has it’s share of problems but I’d rather have our problems than the problems that some other countries have. Because our closest neighbor and ally is the United States, we have a tendency to compare ourselves with Americans at times, so forgive me for that if you would. When I served in our Canadian Armed Forces, I had the opportunity to travel to many parts of the world and also visit and work in a number of cities within the United States. The following list is comprised of “some” of my observations.

• Canadians don’t honk their horns near as much as Americans do.
• Canadians are willing to say they’re sorry a lot more than Americans are.
• Canadians, in general, are better informed about things outside of our own country, than Americans are about things outside of their country.
• Canada provides medical coverage for ALL Canadians (paid for by taxes). This was deemed as being vitally important and we effectively acted upon it. It’s not perfect but we’re working on it. After being released from a hospital the drugs you require are not covered but most people have medical insurance plans that cover drugs, dental and vision needs. People who are on registered welfare also have their drug costs covered.
• On a percentage basis, we have far fewer people in prisons that Americans do.
• On an annual percentage basis, we have far fewer homicides than Americans do and our general crime rates are much lower.
• On a percentage basis, we own and see a need for far fewer guns than Americans do. If we want to own a gun or rifle we can do so, I was trained on a number of various weapons and was even qualified as a Range Control Officer. I just don’t need or want a weapon in my home.
• Our Canadian population is diverse in ethnic backgrounds and generally more open to people from different cultures than some other countries are.
• Although, as Canadians, with a relatively small population (35+ million) compared to the United States, we’ve participated in and sacrificed many lives in the defense of freedom with our allies, yet we generally downplay the role that we’ve consistently played. This includes over 12,000 Canadians who volunteered to serve in Vietnam by enlisting in the American Forces, plus numerous Canadian Armed Forces allied engagements in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, to name but a few.
• Canadians don’t generally have an attitude of presumption, which explains why when traveling abroad, backpacks with Canadian flags on them are often offered to be purchased from us, by Americans that are traveling abroad.
• Canadians Forces personnel serving abroad are known to have a “Can Do” attitude, getting the job done with efficiency, professionalism and dependability.
• During 9-11 Canada opened our airports and homes to thousands and thousands of stranded Americans. Many Canadian teams immediately departed to render assistance in New York. It’s what we do, it’s what we’ve always done.
• Although our country is big in size, our population is small (35+ million), and resources are limited, yet we’ve consistently met our delegated duties.
• We get more paid holidays: America has no mandated paid holidays or vacation time, so 23 per cent of U.S. workers get no paid time off, compared to Canadian workers who get at least two weeks and nine paid public holidays.
• Water, water everywhere: With less than half a per cent of the world’s population, we have seven per cent of its renewable water supply—the most per inhabitant of any developed country. The supply for an average American is just 11 per cent of what’s available to us. Just saying …..
  
• We’re more peaceful: This year, Canada was ranked the eighth most peaceful country in the world. The U.S is ranked 114th.
• You can grow old here comfortably: Canada was ranked 5th best out of 91 countries for elderly treatment, ahead of Switzerland, New Zealand and the U.S.
• Despite our proximity to the United States, we experience far fewer tornadoes. We average just 60 reports of twisters per year compared with the average 1,200 confirmed tornado strikes in the U.S., the most of any country in the world.
• Freedom of religion in Canada is a constitutionally protected right, allowing believers the freedom to assemble and worship without limitation or interference. Recent rulings with regard to what is considered “hate speech” or the right to require mandatory moral standards for acceptance, places some of our previous “freedoms” and expectations in question. No I don’t like it, just like I’m not keen over a number of recent changes in both Canadian and American laws with regard to what legally constitutes marriage or the right to have an abortion. I think we are naive as Christians, to expect our non-Christian society to uphold our Christian values. Imperfection within the Church and outside of the Church are always going to be realities that we need to fight against, no matter what country we live in.
• There are a lot of other things that I could list but I’m assuming that you’re getting the picture. All things considered, we are, as Canadians, truly blessed in many many ways and I am grateful to God for these blessings.