Happy Canada Day! [thread]

This day is special, as is this image. Both are designed to celebrate the beauty, tolerance and peaceful country that Canada has become. We’ve come a very long way from a barbarous past, and we still have a long way to go. Still, I feel like Canada is

one of the best places in the world to live, grow, and prosper.

July 1, 1867 is an arbitrary date to celebrate. Quebec City was founded in 1608, the Great Peace of Montreal treaty was signed in 1701, and Canada only became “whole” on March 31, 1949 when Newfoundland and Labrador

joined the nation. Nunavut only gained its own identity on April 1, 1999. That’s not to mention all of the human civilizations that existed in this land for over 15,000 years. There’s a good article on the history of humanity in The Americas: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/when-did-humans-reach-north-america-the-question-keeps-growing-more-complex

Though, the first Europeans to explore this land were far from enlightened. Some of the earliest Europeans committed acts of genocide on the native populations, and later there was a shift to obliterate the culture and history of the indigenous people.

Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Canada from 1913 through 1932, said in a 1920 speech “I want to get rid of the Indian problem. … Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body

politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian Department”. How did we go from such dastardly sentiments to being the cultural mosaic we are today?

The term “mosaic” was first used by American writer Victoria Hayward in 1922, describing variations in church architecture

and the establishment of Asian and native communities with distinctly different cultures. It wasn’t until 1938 that John Murray Gibbon published the book Canadian Mosaic: The Making of a Northern Nation. Gibbon wasn’t all about letting people live their own lives, however.

He used the term “Canadianized” to describe efforts to teach the English language and “Canadian values” in public schools, which would erase a significant amount of Non-Canadian heritage.

This information was presented to me in an article written by Ryan McKenney here: https://activehistory.ca/2016/05/creating-the-canadian-mosaic/

World War II very much solidified Canada as a nation; even though Newfoundland was not part of the country, they fought alongside us. By the end of the war, Canada had the world’s third largest navy and fourth largest Allied air force.

Indigenous people from every region of Canada served in the armed forces during the Second World War, fighting in every major battle and campaign of the conflict. One such veteran, Syd Moore, said after the war "We're proud of the word volunteer. Nobody forced us. We were good...

Canadians—patriots—we fought for our country". Still, Canada in the 1940’s was a much different place than it is today. This was especially true in terms of education.

“Residential schools”, which were government sponsored religious schools designed to strip away the language, beliefs and culture of indigenous youth operated from the late 1800’s well into the 1970’s. The last such school closed in 1996. From the 60’s through the 80’s, thousands

of indigenous children were taken from their families and placed in foster care with non-indigenous families.

Status Indians were only allowed to vote in federal elections in 1960 while still keeping their status or treaty rights; previously, in order to vote you would have to

renounce these. The Assembly of First Nations was only established in 1982. It was only in 2016 that Canada officially signed the 2007 UN declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, which recognizes indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination, cultural practices, land...

and security. Nine years late (reasons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_on_the_Rights_of_Indigenous_Peoples#Canada ).

All the while, immigration to Canada has continued. The number of people immigrating into Canada in 2018 is 310,000. That same year, 382,533 babies were born in this country. Nearly half of all new Canadians are

bringing their own culture, beliefs and diversity from every corner of the planet; they see Canada as a place of respect, freedom, and prosperity. We’re not perfect, we still have a long way to go in all areas of racial equality. Other nations had seen Canada as a Cultural Mosaic

nearly a century ago, during a time when we were making significant efforts to be the opposite.

Today, I like to think of our nation as a place of opportunity for all. While many imbalances still exist, we’re working on it. When I shot this image, “Maple Leaf Flag” back in

January of 2009, none of the leaves were perfect. I could have edited out the cracks and blemishes on the central leaf, but I chose to leave them there, intact. I thought that it epitomized an idea: no matter how patriotic you are, always keep the imperfections in view.

Am I responsible for the crimes of my father, or my ancestors? No. But I need to be aware of the current injustice and imbalance that the past has created. There’s work to be done to be a better nation, especially for those that have suffered due to the actions of our ancestors.

Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians. Let’s mark this date with both celebrations of what Canada stands for today, but also remember the path we’ve taken to get here and where that road should lead.