Canoeing, tolerance and love of freedom
Residents talk about what makes Canadians distinct
Joseph Tunney
Northern News Services
Friday, July 1, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Kate Covello likes to spend part of Canada Day out on the water with her friends, canoeing and fishing - and yes, she recognizes how Canadian that sounds.
"Very Canadian," she said, laughing.
Jessica Pacunayen paddles her canoe across Frame Lake toward the solstice sunset June 20 just after 11 p.m. The calm lake acted almost like a mirror for the plunging sun. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo |
For Covello, there is value in celebrating the anniversary of the nation. She said it's important for Canadians to recognize how long the country has been sovereign.
"(And) it's important to acknowledge our fellow Canadians," she said, adding two more traits she identifies as clearly Canadian - generosity and kindness.
But as for the question as to whether Canadians are really united as people, Covello is unsure if that's true.
"I think Northerners are united as Canadians," she said. "We genuinely care for each other ... We're pretty isolated from the rest of the country."
With Canada having a population of almost 36 million people spread across the second-largest country in the world, what unifies the country tends to be as varied as its population.
For John Tees, it's a love of freedom.
"We stand up for people in the world," Tees said. "I think that's a good thing."
Tees tends to work on Canada Day but has the day off this year. He said he plans to spend it with his friends, playing music.
He said at his age of 65 he's fairly conservative, preferring small, accountable government, and says as he has aged, his love of freedom and Canada's ability to help others in the world has grown.
"If we lose that, we lose everything," Tees said.
Down at the Somba K'e Civic Plaza, Scott Page, Aaron Baginski and Jeff Braun were out taking in Frame Lake when Yellowknifer spoke to them about what it means to be Canadian.
For Page, freedom definitely makes up part of the Canadian identity, as well as choice.
Baginski pointed to the United Kingdom's recent exit from the European Union as a reversal of what he sees as Canadian values.
"With immigration fears (out of the U.K.) and stuff, it just makes you want to open the borders to Canada more," he said. "You don't want people? We'll take all the talent."
For all three of them, an important factor of what it means to be Canadian is tolerance.
"I'd say we're pretty tolerant," Braun said.
"Maybe too tolerant."
