On Canadian Values

Political candidates aspiring to power often make reference to “Our

Canadian Values”, which they presumably plan to defend against
dangers real or imagined. However, the exact nature of these
“values”, which the politicians would have us be so fearfully
protective of, is seldom made clear. I have grave doubts as to
whether many of these folks could provide an adequate definition, let
alone one that reflects what Canadians actually believe about themselves and their
country.

Therefore, it falls to us, we, you and me, the citizens and residents of Canada, to
think about what we value most, and to define for ourselves (to the extent that this is
even possible) what our common Canadian values really are. Who knows, perhaps
if we all get together on this, our leaders might listen. What follows is my own
humble attempt, offered here for your reading pleasure, in no particular order.

Courage
Canadians are not a timid people. From the very first inhabitants, surviving in an
extremely unforgiving environment while the glaciers slowly receded, to the pioneers
who left behind all that was familiar to carve out a new life in a new land, our history
is replete with examples of courageous people. A large part of our national
reputation has been built by the bravery and selflessness of our men and women in
uniform, especially in the great conflicts and peacekeeping missions of the last
century. (I like to think that, at our best, we Canadians honour our veterans and war
dead with great reverence, sorrow and respect, but without the glorification of war
itself that is seen in more belligerent nations.)
That’s the other thing about the Canadian variety of courage: we don’t feel the need
for bluster and braggadocio and flag-waving. We just calmly carry out the task at
hand, no matter how daunting, and move on. Courage also means determinedly
carrying on, even in the absence of hope.

Resourcefulness and ingenuity

This, to me, is a hallmark of the Canadian character. We improvise, adapt, invent
and “get it done”. Consider, for just a few examples, the exquisitely crafted clothing
and tools of the Inuit people, the inventive genius of the prairie farmer, the
determined scientific research that gave us insulin, and the space-age brilliance that
produced the Canadarm and other technological achievements. We make great
things!
When faced with calamity, Canadians typically don’t say “Help us”. Rather, we say,
“Let’s help ourselves” and “Can we help you?” The phrase, “It can’t be done” is not
in our vocabulary. Some of our finest achievements and innovations came out of the
most difficult circumstances, such as the war years and the Great Depression. The
PFRA, for instance, was instrumental in overcoming the disaster of the Dirty Thirties
and restoring western agricultural lands and habitats to productivity. (It is missed.)

Freedom and justice

We are not “libertarians” as that term is understood south of the border. We accept,
more or less, the laws, regulations, permits, licences and codes that impose limits on
our actions. It seems to me that our concept of freedom is more communal than
individual. We understand that harmful actions inflicted on a person, a community or
the land diminish all of us. One of the most important purposes of our government
and our laws is to protect the weak from the strong, the poor from the rich, the
honest from the devious, and the future from the present.
Our most-valued freedoms include the freedom to speak openly, to travel wherever
we want, to associate with anyone we like, and to love whomever we choose. We
get to have a say in our own government. We can use our words to challenge the
powerful, and our actions to challenge the conventional, without (ideally, at least)
fear of reprisal or repression.
Our democratic institutions and traditions are among the best the world has ever
seen. We must exercise great care in choosing our representatives and leaders, to
ensure that they understand these things, and will act to strengthen our democracy
and our freedoms. In this way, especially, O Canada, we shall stand on guard for
thee.

Generosity and broad-mindedness

Canadians have always been a people who welcome strangers, and who can be
counted on to find room for one more at the table. We love to share stories with
newcomers, and discover things that are held in common. In a land as big as
Canada, with such a diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints, it just makes sense
that we should be accepting of differences, and take delight in a universe of ideas
and cultures. We are outward-looking. We want to understand the world and play a
positive role in it.
Canadians are quick to lend a hand, with small or large acts of kindness, or opening
our pocketbooks to help a stranger in need. The Canadian generosity of spirit can be
seen writ-large in the Telemiracle phenomenon, and in the efforts of CIDA,
Katimavik, Canada World Youth, local service clubs and a host of other
organizations.

Humour and humility

The best joke is a joke at your own expense, and I think that much of Canadian
humour involves poking fun at ourselves. The best comedy is based on true insights
into human nature, and lets us laugh at our own foibles and come away feeling
better about ourselves. Yeah, no, for sure, we will laugh at the Big Bang Theory and
the Cable Guy, but that’s not really “us”. We are Corner Gas and Marg Delahunty
and the MacKenzie Brothers. Take off, eh!

Literacy, libraries and education

Our pioneer forefathers and foremothers knew the value of education and worked
hard to give their children better opportunities to cultivate their intellects. Their hard
work resulted in the public schools, libraries, universities, archives and publishing
houses that have been of great benefit to all of us. Canadian art, literature and
music have flourished as a result of this enlightened collective vision. Our science
and technology, arising from this supportive culture, leads the world in many ways.
Sadly, we often take our good fortune for granted. Some of our current leaders even
seek to dismantle what previous generations built up, in spite of the advantages
which they themselves have enjoyed.

Public broadcasting
Yes, the CBC. Thinking back, it is very hard to imagine growing up without Peter
Gzowski’s conversational explorations of ordinary life in every corner of Canada, or
As It Happens​bringing the world into the cab of my tractor, or Lister Sinclair
stretching my mind with new ​Ideas.​ ​Country Canada, Science Magazine a ​ nd ​Quirks
and Quarks​inspired curiosity, while ​Ryan’s Fancy, ​the​Irish Rovers a ​ nd ​Finkleman’s
45s​instilled a love of music. The ​Morning Edition​and ​Radio Noon​kept me in touch
with my own province, in a way that no other media outlet ever would. Public
broadcasting has undoubtedly contributed more to building our nation than has any
other institution, organization or political party.
The thing is, and this is very important: the CBC belongs to ​us,​ the people of
Canada. It gives us our own voice, and the opportunity to understand ourselves,
our country, the world and the universe beyond. It informs us far beyond the
headlines-as-entertainment “news” that other broadcasters dish out. It tells us things
we need to hear, as unpopular as that sometimes is.
Does it fail, at times, by straying from the high standards of journalism that we should
rightly expect? Of course it does, and we should then hold it accountable. Should
it be scrapped, as some suggest, in favour of privately-owned media and the
dysfunctional bazaar that is the internet? That, say I, would be great folly and a
national tragedy.

The Canoe
What could possibly be more iconically Canadian than the humble canoe? Invented
and perfected by the First Peoples, the canoe served as the primary means of
transportation in the age of exploration and the fur trade. Think of just about any
place in Canada that is close to a river or lake, and chances are good that it was
named by someone who arrived there by canoe. This ancient means of travel
remains popular to this day, and the prospect of a wilderness river trip fires the
imagination. As skis are to Norway, so the canoe is to Canada. Bill Mason is (or
should be) a household name, and his Path of the Paddle as much a staple as is
Anne of Green Gables. (Canadian wisdom: “Never marry someone you haven’t
canoed with”.)

The common good

“We’re all in this together” could be a Canadian motto. From the egalitarian
pre-colonial indigenous societies, through the neighbor-helping-neighbor pioneering
times, to the modern era of universal health care, unemployment insurance and free
public education, Canadians have understood that what is good for all of us is also,
generally, good for each one of us. This thinking extends to the land, the
environment and the future, as evidenced by our extensive parks and protected
areas, and our advanced labour standards and environmental protection regulations.
We place a high value on the institutions, places, and cultural and natural heritage
that we own in common. We take a very dim view of anything that diminishes any of
it.

History and heritage

As Canadians, we treasure the stories of our past. We are enriched by our
amazingly diverse ethnic traditions, and it is a rare Canadian that cannot tell you in
detail where their ancestors came from. A melting pot, we are not. We’re more like
a good stew, where the flavour of each ingredient is distinct and unique even as it
blends harmoniously into the completed dish.
We are unusual in the world, in that we do not seek to embellish our past, or create
national mythologies. We prefer the raw, unvarnished truth, as painful and
unflattering as it sometimes is. Honest reflection on our history gives us useful
insight into our present, and direction for our future.
More and more, we are recovering the nearly-lost stories of our land: the traditional
territories that predate the current provincial boundaries and dominion-land-survey
grids, the place-names in ancient tongues (some still spoken), the dark and
disturbing legacies of abuse and genocide (some not so distant), and the incredible
contributions of countless unsung heros. Our national story is much more interesting
than anything made-up could ever be.

Wilderness
The Canadian psyche is immersed in the idea of wilderness, of wildness, and of a
harsh climate. “My country is not a country, it is winter”, and, “There was a time in
this fair land... when the green dark forest was too silent to be real”, sang two of our
greatest poets. Our literature is laced with images of the wild, our greatest works of
art evoke vast and lonely landscapes. Every Canadian should have, at least once in
their lives, the experience of nature at its most remote, quiet, dark, trackless
untrampledness (preferably having been transported there by canoe, horse, bush
plane or dogsled). For that to be possible, wilderness must actually exist. We still
have some, let’s not squander it.

The quiet of the natural world

Too few Canadians can now enjoy silence: that is, the absence of the clamour of
humanity and its machines. To be sure, the natural world is far from silent, but the
songs of wind, waves, birds and insects enrich us in ways that human-made sound
cannot ever. As our habitats are overtaken by artificial noise of all sorts, the
opportunities to experience the unbroken quiet of nature are becoming rarer. That
great stillness is still there, though, in our literature, our paintings, our songs and in
our imagination.

There is no one “approved” set of “Canadian Values”,

just as there is no “typical Canadian”. We are the most
diverse people in the world, and that diversity is one of
our greatest strengths.
What do you value most about being a Canadian? Let
the conversation continue...

Neil Marsh, 2019