July 5, 2006: Pride -&- No, not down that road again, Sheila

Richard Gwyn: On Canada Day, let's show a little more pride published Jun. 30, 2006 gives some idea of what has happened to Canadians' pride in Canada

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[....] Thus, a recent multi-country survey (Canada's participant was the Carleton University Survey Centre) has found that in terms of comparative expression of pride in country, Canadians rank sixth among 34 nations surveyed.

The following excerpts Sheila Copps' article, including her idea of what makes a Canadian, laced with a hint of the old separatism bogeyman, which is followed by one Canadian's response.

Sheila Copps: Birthday reflections Toronto Sun, June 28, 2006

[....] Only a few days ago, I had a conversation with a passionate Canadian nationalist that left me wondering. My friend is a model Canadian, an immigrant from British Columbia who learned fluent French long ago as part of his commitment to the bigger dream. [....]

Is it any wonder my friend is willing to give up on this great country? But as we prepare to celebrate Canada Day, let's remember -- giving up is exactly what the separatists want. Death by referendum is part of their strategy.

So what is our strategy? Do we spend any time thinking about how we might do our part to build bridges between the peoples of Canada? [....]

John Gleeson: It's your dream, Sheila, not ours Winnipeg Sun : June 29, 2006

[.... In] what was supposed to be a Canada Day column, Sheila Copps was writing about a "passionate Canadian nationalist" she knows who had lost heart for the good fight to keep Quebec in confederation.

"My friend," she wrote, "is a model Canadian, an immigrant from British Columbia who learned fluent French long ago as part of his commitment to the bigger dream." [....]

Now, I don't know about Sheila's friend, but for most people who live in B.C. -- and for that matter, about half of the rest of the country -- learning "fluent French" is hardly an essential way to spend their limited time on this planet, unless of course they want to work for the federal government. [....]

But to tie speaking French to being "a model Canadian" who dreams "the bigger dream" is to flatly marginalize half the population of Canada.

But that's what Sheila's privileged Liberal ilk does.

Rather than build bridges, their Bigger Bilingual Dream Canada actually relegates millions of us to second-class status. And laughably, this divisive and demeaning political game has been shoved down our throats in the interest of "keeping Canada together."

When the game got really mouldy, Sheila's former boss even used the fear of losing Quebec as the raison d'etre for the sponsorship program, which turned out to be nothing less than a criminal enterprise operated out of the office of the prime minister of Canada. [....]

No, we're not going down that road again, Sheila. Frankly, many of us just don't give a hoot any more. Too many English speaking Canadians have been marginalized by the language industry which gave jobs and power to one minority, the French-speaking segment of Canada. We have been led by the nose for too long by a military-hating, UN-loving, UNESCO-courting, France-loving, America-hating group of Quebec's self-appointed elites. It is time for Quebec to see why the rest of this country is valuable, why they should choose Canada, and not the other way around ... as it has been, seemingly forever ... As an alternative, maybe they will join France which is where Quebec's elites have been heading for years ... trying to take the rest of the country with it. Over my dead body! I'm willing to bet that the average Quebecker isn't interested either.

If you don't believe what I wrote about the elites and France, do a little reading.