To all of our new citizens who are arriving here
this month and in the upcoming months. Some of you have come here as refugees'
and others have had less hazardous journeys. To all WELCOME.
I hope you find peace and prosperity in our
wonderful country as my Grandparents did when they came to this country at the
beginning of the last century.
My Mom's parents were both born in different parts
of Romania and both came to Canada at the beginning of the 20th Century and met
in a small town in Saskatchewan; my Dad's parents were both born in the USA and
came here in the 1920's and lived in a small town in Saskatchewan.
So as a second generation born Canadian, I am proud
to welcome all of the new Canadians and hope their life in Canada will be as
successful as my families was in this beautiful, wonderful, free country.
An American, Peter Ferrara, an associate
professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law in Northern
Virginia wrote an essay 2001 to help define what a American is to the
world. I have adapted and changed it a bit as have many over time. The
essay was adapted by some on the Internet to describe Canadians.
I am posting this version so you can use this as a
primer to begin to understand who we believe we are and who you will become as
a citizen of one of the best places in the world to live.
I think the essay applies to both countries
citizens; although I believe that in policy and direction the Canadian
Government is, I think, at this time more tolerant to refugees than
the US Government.
As individuals Canadians and Americans are very
much alike. Citizens of both countries can take pride in what was written
by Professor Ferrara and what was changed by the citizens of the Internet to
reflect what they believed Canada stood for; it is time for Americans to also
stand up and be proud of what they stand for as well. So I think if you
are American then substitute the word American when you see the word Canadian.
A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian,
Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek or Romanian, or from the USA.
A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian,
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or
Afghan.
A Canadian is also a member of the First Nation who
may call themselves Tsimshian; Haida; Salish; Kwakiutl; Blackfoot; Cree;
Chipewyan; Algonquin; MÃkmaq; Iroquois; Huron. Innu, Abenaki or Mi'kmaq.
A Canadian may be Metis or a member of the
Inuit Nation.
A Canadian's religious beliefs range from
Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or none.
In Canada we are free to worship as each of us
chooses. Whether we have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately
answers only to their own version of God; government in Canada does
not interfere with our right to worship or not worship as we believe.
A Canadian lives in one of the most free lands in
the history of the world. The root of that freedom can be found in the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each person to "life,
liberty and security of the person"
A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped
out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never
asking a thing in return.
Canadians welcome the best of everything, the best
products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services and
the best minds. But they also welcome the least - the oppressed, the outcast
and the rejected.
These are the people who built Canada.
You can try to hurt a Canadian as other tyrants in
the world have tried but in doing so you could just be hurting a relative or a
neighbour.
This is because Canadians are not a particular
people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of
freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian.
Please feel welcome and take the best we can give; but
give us the best you can be.
Finally, remember to keep your stick on the
ice EH!
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