July is finally here and it’s ushered in with our first holiday of the summer – Canada Day. This year, our national holiday falls on a Wednesday, so that means no long weekend for us. But a day off mid-week isn’t too bad either. Canada Day celebrates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North America Act, which united Canada as a single country of four provinces. That was 142 years ago.
I love being Canadian. I love that the reputation that precedes us is that we’re kind and polite. I love traveling with a Canadian passport; it’s a pretty hassle-free experience. I love beaver tails and Nanaimo bars, Smarties and Tim Hortons, west coast salmon and east coast lobster. And if I could, I’d never travel without a bottle of real Canadian maple syrup tucked away in my luggage (but I don’t because that’s weird … and potentially quite messy.)
So to all Canadians at home or far from home, I thank you for your contribution to making this country a place I love to call home. And to everyone, Canadian or not: Happy Canada Day!