Canada D'eh

Happy Canada Day!

I live outside of the country I was born and raised in. It could be construed as kind of hypocritical to constantly proclaim that I'm proud to be Canadian yet I don't choose to live there, so let me explain a bit.

I'm proud that Kiefer Sutherland's grandfather made sure my parents didn't have to pay to bring me to the doctor, and that Canada's universal healthcare system is a model of relative success for other countries. I'm exceedingly grateful that my grandfather, a WWII veteran, was treated respectfully, properly and freely when he needed a hip replacement ten years ago so that he can continue to rock plaid shirts from the 60s with pride well into his late 80s. Or, that expensive treatments for cancer are covered for the elderly and not just for those with longer life expectancies.

I'm happy to have been raised in a country where racism isn't as big of an issue as our neighbors to the south. I'm fortunate to have been educated in two languages, which often comes in handy in the silliest of places. I love the natural beauty of Canada - the Jack Pines in Muskoka or the way Loon Lake looks first thing in the morning. Canadians are seasonally blessed in a way that many countries are not, and living here, I sometimes miss a proper winter (although not the -20 deathly cold) or fall colors in Central Ontario.

I will always be Canadian. My status in my adopted country might change (very soon, to be exact), but I will never give up my blue and gold bilingual status symbol or pull a Madonna and lose my accent. I'm grateful to the country that raised me, that allowed me to think critically about what it means to be a citizen, what it means to disagree with your government and what equal rights really means. I'm proud to be a representative of Canadian values, tolerance and integrity abroad, eat grapes with peanut butter and crave Swiss Chalet sauce fortnightly.

Is being a patriotic expat hypocritical? Absolutely not. Personally, living in the UK makes a lot of sense to me, for very obvious reasons. I can and will always be grateful for the lessons I learned as a Canadian which have shaped my outlook and hopefully made me a more tolerant and open human being.

Happy Canada Day, Hosers.