It’s after midnight on July 2. Happy Birthday, Canada. How do you feel? Has the hangover started?
Across the country, Canadians have celebrated Canada’s 150th birthday in their own inimitable way. Maybe you were one of the sold out crowd of 46,672 at Rogers Centre, Toronto, taking in a Blue Jays game. Maybe you were one of the 25,000 on Parliament Hill, Ottawa, alternately cheering for the country and dodging the puddles. (July 1st has always been a dodgy weekend. Ask any Canadian camper.) Maybe you threw some lawn chairs on the grass, set up the cooler and the BBQ, and invited the neighbours over for a brew and a smokie. Maybe you opted to avoid the crowds and watch it all on tv. Maybe you moved out of the country a while back, but still feel very Canadian. Maybe you’ve just moved to Canada, and are wandering around trying to get used to your new home. Maybe you were one of the thousands keeping Canadians safe from harm.
Maybe you were sitting on a hill in Diefenbaker Park, Saskatoon, on a perfect summer’s night, catching a spectacular firework show.
Today was a good day to be a Canadian.
Happy Birthday, Canada. We’ll talk tomorrow about all the things we need to fix, but today, let’s just celebrate everything we’ve done together.
