Latest news with #MyCanada
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Born in the U.S., Green Party leader Elizabeth May says she would 'die for Canada any day of the week'
Yahoo News Canada presents 'My Canada," a series spotlighting Canadians — born-and-raised to brand new — sharing their views on the Canadian dream, national identity, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with life inside and outside these borders. Many may not realize it, but Green Party Leader Elizabeth May isn't Canadian by birth. 'I came to this country as an intentional Canadian,' she says. A family vacation to Cape Breton compelled May's parents to leave their home in Hartford, Connecticut in the late 1960s. At the time, May and her brother were teenagers. 'My father was British so he never really liked living in the U.S.,' she tells me from Ottawa. 'But my mother was from there so he was kind of stuck when he married her.' Being on the island inspired the family to make Canada their home. 'My parents decided they didn't want to live in the U.S. anymore,' she says. 'They loved Cape Breton and they loved Canada.' The young May — an activist even back then — recalls having rose-coloured glasses about what she expected Canada would be like. 'I thought it would be perfect because of Pierre Trudeau not wanting to encourage or support the U.S. in the war with Vietnam,' she says. Canada wasn't perfect, but it was — and continues to be — quite profoundly, a work in progress. 'I have always loved the Canadian narrative,' May says. 'The U.S. has this notion of a melting pot. Sure they'll put up with immigrants, but they're expected to emerge from that pot homogenized.' In contrast, May fell in love with the imagery of Canada being a mosaic. 'The country is beautiful in its diversity.' She believes what is truly embedded in the fabric of our nation — and what sets us apart — is our community spirit. The ever-environmentalist at heart gives the example of the bravery and community spirit during the Fort McMurray wildfires to illustrate her point: 'I like to contrast the difference between Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Fort McMurray fires in 2016.' As the Hurricane Katrina floods approached New Orleans, as much as half the police department took off in their police cars to protect themselves, asserts May. 'In Fort McMurray [Alberta], not a single first responder left to save themselves. They safely evacuated 80,000 people. They didn't leave anyone behind.' Compare this to the reaction of everyday Canadians during the fires. If a car trying to leave Fort McMurray ran out of gas, residents would jump out of their own cars, push it aside, and say: 'Jump in with us!' May says. Community spirit is often put to the test in times of crisis, and United States President Donald Trump's ongoing tariff threats have done just that. Since he took office early this year, it has only succeeded in invoking a fervent sense of national pride and patriotism. 'If there's one thing Donald Trump has done for which Canadians may want to thank him, it's for bringing [us] together and to stop beating up on the country.' May thinks it's really good to be aware of how lucky we are. 'Our pride in our country is tempered with not the boasting and bullying bravado you get from the U.S., but about gratitude and renewed sense of care and concern for every other Canadian. We may be under threat and menace from Donald Trump, but we're also pulling together.' May, who has been the Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands since 2011 — that's five election wins in a row — says the Canada-U.S. tensions have changed her perspective on her country of birth. 'One of the things it has drawn into sharp focus for us as Canadians is that we've allowed multinational corporations to run our economy for a very long time,' she says. This starts way back when the first industry was based on Canadian trappers and beaver pelts, she says. 'We revolutionized our economy during the Second World War but we have basically allowed ourselves to be an economic colony of the United States. It's not just that we're dependent on them, but we've also allowed them to exploit us.' It doesn't make sense to anyone in the U.S., and it doesn't make sense to Canadians. She never would have imagined a U.S. president who decided his first order of business would be to take on Canada. 'It doesn't make sense to anyone in the U.S., and it doesn't make sense to Canadians,' she says. 'But it's a good wake up call. We have to expand our understanding of how many friends we truly have. You can't just pick one.' But May says she most certainly can 'pick just one' when it comes to love of country — a choice she would make over and over again. ' Being Canadian means everything to me, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else,' May proclaims. 'Our values are deeply connected to Canadians like Tommy Douglas who gave universal healthcare, and what Lester B. Pearson did in making us a country known for peacekeeping. We have an amazing reputation around the world.' But we have to live up to these values and not just rest on our laurels, she reminds us. 'I would give up my life for this country any day of the week.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'I wish Canada would live up to its reputation:' Journalist Samira Mohyeddin shares views on belonging — and betrayal — in Canada
Yahoo News Canada presents 'My Canada," a series spotlighting Canadians — born-and-raised to brand new — sharing their views on the Canadian dream, national identity, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with life inside and outside these borders. As Canada Day approaches, Toronto journalist and activist Samira Mohyeddin finds herself reflecting less on the customary pride and more on her painful relationship with the country she has called home since childhood. 'My idea of what Canada means to me as an immigrant has changed throughout the years and being Canadian has always been complicated,' she says. 'It's a love-hate relationship.' This May marked the 46th anniversary of her family's arrival in Canada after leaving Iran in 1979 at the start of the Iran hostage crisis. It brought to mind her first memory of her new home, which is not one of welcome, but of violence. She remembers being just five years old when a group of boys tied her, her sister and two cousins to trees in their apartment complex, yelling, 'You took them hostage, so we're taking you hostage.' 'We had just arrived,' Mohyeddin says. 'We were new to the school, and this was our introduction.' Years later, during the 2010 G20 protests in Toronto, she was among those 'kettled' by police for hours without cause. She joined a class-action lawsuit and won — $9,000, a small sum that could never account for the damage to her sense of belonging. 'That was an awakening,' she says. 'To realize that the so-called liberal democracy I live in can turn on a dime and become a fascist state. We think that we have all these rights and freedoms here, but I realized how quickly they can be taken away.' It's not surprising, then, why Mohyeddin is quick to reject the myth of the 'grateful immigrant.' She believes Canada is steeped in 'a two-tier form of citizenship' when it comes to who is afforded which rights. She explains, 'I'm very appreciative of Canada opening its doors to my family, but at the same time, I hate this idea that we have to constantly be bowing to the fact that we are allowed here. The West has benefited from the brain drain from our countries, too.' We think that we have all these rights and freedoms here, but I realized how quickly they can be taken away. This Canada Day, her disappointment runs especially deep. Mohyeddin has been vocal about her outrage over Canada's muted response to calls of genocide in Gaza, and her feeling that the government has abandoned its commitment to international human rights law. 'Canada has shown that it is quite hypocritical and willing to sacrifice its reputation in the international community,' she says, pointing to the genocide of the Rohingya by the Myanmar military. At that time, Canada 'didn't wait for the gavel to drop' and for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to prosecute Myanmar. Instead, it immediately declared it a genocide. Bob Rae, Canada's former Special Envoy to Myanmar, even visited refugee camps. So, with Prime Minister Mark Carney having stated he's going to wait for the ICJ to make a call on Gaza, Mohyeddin says, 'What we're seeing is the Israeli exception, because if this was any other country, Canada would be leading the charge to stop it.' As political tensions continue to brew between Canada and the U.S. now, too, Mohyeddin's feelings have only become more complicated. Since U.S. President Donald Trump's election and ensuing travel bans, she's cancelled three trips to America, as she no longer feels comfortable — like so many immigrants — travelling there. 'It's a lot more than just 'elbows up,' it's about locking arms,' she says. 'The U.S. is trying to sow divisions. There are Iranian Canadians, with Canadian passports, being stopped from going into the U.S. right now. It begs the question: what does it mean to be a Canadian? In 2015, Trudeau came out and said, 'a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian,' but we haven't seen it actually be put into effect. You can't say one thing and then act another way.' It's become a little debilitating to watch these institutions that we had pride in fall apart like a house of cards. Still, she sees glimmers of progress. 'When I was growing up, we weren't taught anything about Indigenous people's plight in this country. We pledged allegiance to the queen. Now, in public schools, kids are learning about residential schools — that's a start.' But that slow crawl toward justice is not enough. 'Canada needs to apply the same critical Indigenous lens on itself and to other countries,' she says. 'If we don't call [what's happening in Gaza] a genocide, if we don't put an arms embargo on Israel, we will forever tarnish our image in the international community. And for what?'Asked if there's anything she admires about Canada's national character, Mohyeddin doesn't hesitate: "I just wish Canada would live up to its reputation. There is such a deep sense of betrayal in my bones about what it means to be Canadian. People are hurt and it's become a little debilitating to watch these institutions that we had pride in fall apart like a house of cards." For her, and so many others, Canada Day is not just a national holiday, but a painful reminder of promises made and broken. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samira Mohyeddin هم (@smohyeddin)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada Day 2025: Are you proud to be Canadian? What is your biggest issue living in this country? Vote and share your view of the country
This year, Canada Day is more than just a celebration: it's a chance for citizens to reflect on who we are, our values and what direction we are headed in as a country. Canada is approaching its 158th birthday in the midst of uncertainty — both at home and abroad. U.S. President Trump's trade war left the nation unsettled with a long-time ally. Threats to the country's sovereignty - a push to make it America's "51st state" - has sparked frustrations. A minority Liberal government with Prime Minister Mark Carney is still dealing with mounting economic challenges across the country. Despite that, a fresh wave of patriotism continues: citizens are 'Buying Canadian', changing their view on relations with American neighbours, and rethinking Canada's place on the global stage. With this spirit in mind, Yahoo News Canada is launching My Canada, a series focused on influential and everyday citizens across the country sharing their views on what makes them proud, challenged, frustrated Canadian. But first, we want to hear from you. What are your views of Canada, and its reputation? Are you proud to be a Canadian? Share your views with this series of questions, and check back on July 1, 2025 for the results.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
'I wish Canada would live up to its reputation': Journalist Samira Mohyeddin shares views on belonging — and betrayal — in Canada
Yahoo News Canada presents 'My Canada," a series spotlighting Canadians — born-and-raised to brand new — sharing their views on the Canadian dream, national identity, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with life inside and outside these borders. As Canada Day approaches, Toronto journalist and activist Samira Mohyeddin finds herself reflecting less on the customary pride and more on her painful relationship with the country she has called home since childhood. 'My idea of what Canada means to me as an immigrant has changed throughout the years and being Canadian has always been complicated,' she says. 'It's a love-hate relationship.' This May marked the 46th anniversary of her family's arrival in Canada after leaving Iran in 1979 at the start of the Iran hostage crisis. It brought to mind her first memory of her new home, which is not one of welcome, but of violence. She remembers being just five years old when a group of boys tied her, her sister and two cousins to trees in their apartment complex, yelling, 'You took them hostage, so we're taking you hostage.' 'We had just arrived,' Mohyeddin says. 'We were new to the school, and this was our introduction.' Years later, during the 2010 G20 protests in Toronto, she was among those 'kettled' by police for hours without cause. She joined a class-action lawsuit and won — $9,000, a small sum that could never account for the damage to her sense of belonging. 'That was an awakening,' she says. 'To realize that the so-called liberal democracy I live in can turn on a dime and become a fascist state. We think that we have all these rights and freedoms here, but I realized how quickly they can be taken away.' It's not surprising, then, why Mohyeddin is quick to reject the myth of the 'grateful immigrant.' She believes Canada is steeped in 'a two-tier form of citizenship' when it comes to who is afforded which rights. She explains, 'I'm very appreciative of Canada opening its doors to my family, but at the same time, I hate this idea that we have to constantly be bowing to the fact that we are allowed here. The West has benefited from the brain drain from our countries, too.' We think that we have all these rights and freedoms here, but I realized how quickly they can be taken away. This Canada Day, her disappointment runs especially deep. Mohyeddin has been vocal about her outrage over Canada's muted response to calls of genocide in Gaza, and her feeling that the government has abandoned its commitment to international human rights law. 'Canada has shown that it is quite hypocritical and willing to sacrifice its reputation in the international community,' she says, pointing to the genocide of the Rohingya by the Myanmar military. At that time, Canada 'didn't wait for the gavel to drop' and for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to prosecute Myanmar. Instead, it immediately declared it a genocide. Bob Rae, Canada's former Special Envoy to Myanmar, even visited refugee camps. So, with Prime Minister Mark Carney having stated he's going to wait for the ICJ to make a call on Gaza, Mohyeddin says, 'What we're seeing is the Israeli exception, because if this was any other country, Canada would be leading the charge to stop it.' As political tensions continue to brew between Canada and the U.S. now, too, Mohyeddin's feelings have only become more complicated. Since U.S. President Donald Trump's election and ensuing travel bans, she's cancelled three trips to America, as she no longer feels comfortable — like so many immigrants — travelling there. 'It's a lot more than just 'elbows up,' it's about locking arms,' she says. 'The U.S. is trying to sow divisions. There are Iranian Canadians, with Canadian passports, being stopped from going into the U.S. right now. It begs the question: what does it mean to be a Canadian? In 2015, Trudeau came out and said, 'a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian,' but we haven't seen it actually be put into effect. You can't say one thing and then act another way.' It's become a little debilitating to watch these institutions that we had pride in fall apart like a house of cards. Still, she sees glimmers of progress. 'When I was growing up, we weren't taught anything about Indigenous people's plight in this country. We pledged allegiance to the queen. Now, in public schools, kids are learning about residential schools — that's a start.' But that slow crawl toward justice is not enough. 'Canada needs to apply the same critical Indigenous lens on itself and to other countries,' she says. 'If we don't call [what's happening in Gaza] a genocide, if we don't put an arms embargo on Israel, we will forever tarnish our image in the international community. And for what?'Asked if there's anything she admires about Canada's national character, Mohyeddin doesn't hesitate: "I just wish Canada would live up to its reputation. There is such a deep sense of betrayal in my bones about what it means to be Canadian. People are hurt and it's become a little debilitating to watch these institutions that we had pride in fall apart like a house of cards." For her, and so many others, Canada Day is not just a national holiday, but a painful reminder of promises made and broken. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samira Mohyeddin هم (@smohyeddin)
