Deachman: To be Canadian is to 'come together and make the best of it'
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So what are the defining features of Canadianism? The top three in the most recent Abacus study were our politeness and kindness, cited by 17 per cent of participants; respect for diversity and inclusion (15 per cent); and unity and community support (10 per cent). None of these shows overwhelming consensus, however.
Article content
Ottawa-based Oksana Kishchuk, who conducted the surveys, says, 'There's a sense that there is a Canadian identity, but folks have a really hard time articulating what it is. I think the Canadian identity is that it isn't the same for everyone, but we can still rally around it.'
Article content
In March, Kishchuk asked Canadians what makes a strong Canada. The top three answers were shared values (37 per cent), a strong economy (36 per cent) and a strong democracy (34 per cent).
Article content
Beyond our reputation for being kind and welcoming, though, Kishchuk believes our 'shared values' actually vary greatly, depending on age, where people grew up or whether they were born here.
Article content
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Confusing? Absolutely. Helpful? Only as a starting point. It was time, I felt, to take my search for a national identity on the road (locally), and ask some Ottawans what they thought.
Article content
Luis Leigh, a Peruvian expat who's lived in Canada since 1971, told me our landscape is what's quintessentially Canadian. It made him take up painting, which is what he was doing when we met at Petrie Island. 'We have a beautiful country, with a landscape that's second to none.'
Article content
Others I spoke with similarly cited our affinity with the outdoors — or our love/hate relationship with the weather. 'We're always going to complain about it,' said Keira Conlin, 22, 'no matter what it is, but we are always going to rally. We're going to look forward to that first snowfall, to getting out on the ice. To make the best of it and come together as a community in all of those elements.'
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Both Conlin, who was at work at Wesley Clover Parks when we met, and Shayne Baylis, who had just played a game of pickup hockey at Sensplex West, cited sports as nation-building: In Baylis's case, hockey; in Conlin's, Olympic and other international competition. It's perhaps telling that, as the NHL playoffs winnow the field of contenders each year, many Canadians switch their allegiances to whichever Canadian teams remain in the hunt.
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Leigh, meanwhile, recalled a Portuguese neighbour who proudly displayed a Canadian flag every Canada Day. 'I knew exactly why he was doing it. As an immigrant, you feel Canada is a country that's open and welcoming.
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'And it's happened to me so many times that I'm traveling in the world somewhere and somebody just asks, 'Are you Canadian?' I couldn't tell you how they know, but there is something that tells you someone's Canadian. The way they dress, the way they talk. We tend to be much more gentle and polite, and respectful of other people. Those are things that that are common to Canadians.'
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Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
This Canada Day, taste your Canadian pride
A serving of delicious poutine with french fries, cheese curds and gravy on a rustic wooden board. Photo by Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Canada Day is coming up, and never in recent memory (or perhaps back in 1867 when the nation officially became a new federation with its own constitution) has this country seen such a massive surge in national pride. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account We're practically shouting it out from the rooftops and encouraging everyone to think Canadian, buy Canadian — cook Canadian. And enjoy the foods reflective of everything that is great about our country. As Canadians, we enjoy foods that pay homage to the places where we live, be it poutine in Quebec or lobster from the Atlantic provinces. There's Montreal's smoked meat, Ontario's butter tarts, Alberta's beef, and, of course, maple syrup. Maple syrup is as Canadian as it gets. Photo by Postmedia file photo / Toronto Sun And let's not forget our beer! It wouldn't be Canada Day without quaffing a cold one (even a non-alcoholic one) and a barbecue. We have wheat that is one of the most coveted food products across the globe, and 80% of Canada's mustard seeds grown out west supplies to the rest of the world. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Of course, the earliest cuisines can be traced to First Nations, the Indigenous along with the English, French and Scottish settlers. Research shows Canadian cuisine has historically been shaped by Indigenous influences which have remained a constant in Canada's food identity. Foods we celebrate to this day. And Canadians love to celebrate with dishes reflective of the country's great bounty — dishes like the famous French-Canadian Tourtiere pie filled with rib-hugging pork, veal and special spices, a dish that's been around since the 1600s and one of the most popular in the Canadian food repertoire. Canada is home to some award-winning cheese. iStock/GETTY IMAGES We've got an awesome selection of award-winning wines and spirits — vodka made from our icebergs, ice wines made from grapes in Southern Ontario and British Columbia — and some of the greatest, award-winning cheeses in the world. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For those with a sweet tooth we have sugar pies and butter tarts and Nanaimo bars and some of Canada's most famous ice cream companies — Chapman's and Kawartha Dairy, deeply entrenched in pure Canadian products. But what exactly is Canadian cuisine? Truth be told, there really is no one food that defines the nation. This country is huge and each region has its own identity with various dishes identified with ingredients particular to that region. Throughout the decades, the cuisine has evolved and incorporated to reflect the multicultural fabric that envelops this great country, exhibiting the diversity of everyone who lives and cooks here. Every new resident from the of hundreds of countries that call Canada home has brought along customs and culinary heritage, firmly entrenching the diverse dishes into the soul of the nation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Nanaimo bars are a Canadian favourite. So, along with the Nanaimo bars and bacon, you'll find pierogies and beef patties and curried dishes. You'll find onion dip next to hummus, and falafel next to sandwich wraps. Pizza and veal cutlet sandwiches are firmly entrenched as the snack of choice after a late-nigh hockey game among friends. Portuguese custard tart next to a Tim Hortons maple-flavoured doughnut. There are thousands of more dishes that fall under the Canadian label. In fact, from far and wide, the multicultural mosaic of the nation has certainly inspired global flavours to infuse traditional Canadian meals. International flavours and spices, such as za'atar, turmeric and togarashi sit shoulder-to-shoulder next to salt, pepper and garlic powder. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. We have amazing Canadian success stories, like that of the Hadhad family, luxury chocolate makers from Syria who had to flee their home after their chocolate factory was bombed during the Syrian civil war. The Hadhads came to Canada as refugees, bringing with a wealth of chocolate knowledge, and opening up a chocolate factory to great success in their new home in Antigonish, N.S. Today, Peace by Chocolate, a name given to the company by the family to reflect their hopes for the future, is considered one of the most successful confectionary companies world-wide. There are so many other food stories like this, making one realize just how unique Canada is in the food world, and oh so flavourful. What makes us so proud to be Canadian. And something to celebrate this Canada Day. Happy Canada Day! Brendan Miller/Postmedia RECOMMENDED VIDEO NHL Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors Columnists Sunshine Girls
Winnipeg Free Press
15 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sponsored Content FPDI drone pilot program
When Corbin Spence-Hart's boss approached him earlier this year to see if he would be interested in taking part in a training program to become a licensed drone pilot he immediately said yes. Spence-Hart works as a First Nations safety officer in Nelson House, part of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. He viewed the opportunity to become an accredited drone pilot as a chance to do more to help people in his community including assisting on search and rescue missions and helping deal with the wildfires that have plagued the region of late. In April, he was part of the first cohort of 15 students to graduate from the Advanced Drone Accreditation Training program offered through First People's Development Inc. (FPDI), a non-profit organization that facilitates partnerships designed to develop and deliver training- to-employment programs to meet labour market needs. The pilot program was developed in conjunction with Saskatchewan Polytechnic and its Centre for Continuing Education's training solutions department. Instruction was provided by Transport Canada-certified instructors from Queen City Drone, a Regina-based company that has trained hundreds of drone pilots in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Evan Colgan, supervisor of FPDI's robotics and drones department, says the organization offered a couple of previous drone courses that were extremely popular with young learners and felt it was time to provide something a little more advanced to help meet a growing demand for trained drone pilots. 'We thought we needed to get others accredited so that First Nations communities can utilize this new technology because its growing and there's so many regulations that you need to know,' he says. 'This class is kind of perfect, especially for those communities that may not get this kind of chance otherwise.' Students received about 20 hours of classroom instruction as well as hands-on training as part of the Advanced Drone Accreditation Training program. Classroom instruction was provided in FPDI's offices on Mountain Avenue while flight training took place in a park space the organization reserved for test flights. The three-day program covers a wide range of topics including: a thorough understanding of Canadian Aviation regulations governing the use of drones; how to pilot a variety of different drones; how to read flight charts; and how to communicate with air traffic controllers. The final day includes a written test and a flight review which students must pass before receiving their pilot's license. The program is free of charge and is open to any First Nations person who resides in Manitoba. 'We really wanted to make it accessible to our First Nations which is why we offer the free tuition,' Colgan says. 'We really just wanted to make sure that we give as many people a chance as possible to help out their community.' Spence-Hart says one of his favourite parts of the program was having an opportunity to test fly some of the latest state-of-the-art drones including those used by law enforcement and firefighters. He also appreciated the fact that the instructors did a good job of explaining all the rules and regulations in easy to understand terms. 'They did an excellent job. They really helped us with some of the more confusing (topics),' he says. Queen City Drone owner Ryan Beston conducted both the classroom and hands-on instruction for the program's first session. He was impressed with the enthusiasm of the students and their genuine desire to learn. 'One of the guys in the class was actually the fire chief of his (community). He went up afterwards to a Sask Polytech staff member after we were done and said: 'When I came into this class I knew zero about drones or anything remote controlled. Now I'm 100 per cent sure I can do great with this',' Beston recalls. Gerry Youzwa, director of training solutions for Saskatchewan Polytech, says teaming up with FPDI to offer drone accreditation training was a natural fit for the institution since a big part of its mandate is to partner with industry to design custom training programs that address specific skills gaps in the labour market. 'Obviously our goal (with the program) was to provide Indigenous participants hands-on training in drone technology,' she says. 'Those types of skills are really in high demand and can help people manage emergency response plans and really map out the topical aerial view of different land masses that are being impacted.' A second session of the program is scheduled to run July 28 to 30 and will be open to 15 students. Future sessions will depend on demand from First Nations communities and FPDI may consider expanding it to include other provinces if there is enough interest. 'It's loads of fun and I hope more people join it,' Colgan says.
Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Deachman: To be Canadian is to 'come together and make the best of it'
Article content So what are the defining features of Canadianism? The top three in the most recent Abacus study were our politeness and kindness, cited by 17 per cent of participants; respect for diversity and inclusion (15 per cent); and unity and community support (10 per cent). None of these shows overwhelming consensus, however. Article content Ottawa-based Oksana Kishchuk, who conducted the surveys, says, 'There's a sense that there is a Canadian identity, but folks have a really hard time articulating what it is. I think the Canadian identity is that it isn't the same for everyone, but we can still rally around it.' Article content In March, Kishchuk asked Canadians what makes a strong Canada. The top three answers were shared values (37 per cent), a strong economy (36 per cent) and a strong democracy (34 per cent). Article content Beyond our reputation for being kind and welcoming, though, Kishchuk believes our 'shared values' actually vary greatly, depending on age, where people grew up or whether they were born here. Article content Article content Confusing? Absolutely. Helpful? Only as a starting point. It was time, I felt, to take my search for a national identity on the road (locally), and ask some Ottawans what they thought. Article content Luis Leigh, a Peruvian expat who's lived in Canada since 1971, told me our landscape is what's quintessentially Canadian. It made him take up painting, which is what he was doing when we met at Petrie Island. 'We have a beautiful country, with a landscape that's second to none.' Article content Others I spoke with similarly cited our affinity with the outdoors — or our love/hate relationship with the weather. 'We're always going to complain about it,' said Keira Conlin, 22, 'no matter what it is, but we are always going to rally. We're going to look forward to that first snowfall, to getting out on the ice. To make the best of it and come together as a community in all of those elements.' Article content Article content Both Conlin, who was at work at Wesley Clover Parks when we met, and Shayne Baylis, who had just played a game of pickup hockey at Sensplex West, cited sports as nation-building: In Baylis's case, hockey; in Conlin's, Olympic and other international competition. It's perhaps telling that, as the NHL playoffs winnow the field of contenders each year, many Canadians switch their allegiances to whichever Canadian teams remain in the hunt. Article content Leigh, meanwhile, recalled a Portuguese neighbour who proudly displayed a Canadian flag every Canada Day. 'I knew exactly why he was doing it. As an immigrant, you feel Canada is a country that's open and welcoming. Article content 'And it's happened to me so many times that I'm traveling in the world somewhere and somebody just asks, 'Are you Canadian?' I couldn't tell you how they know, but there is something that tells you someone's Canadian. The way they dress, the way they talk. We tend to be much more gentle and polite, and respectful of other people. Those are things that that are common to Canadians.'
