Brookman: Canada is wonderful, however we should guarantee it stays that manner

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Some youngsters begin life a number of yards down the monitor; some youngsters begin life on the beginning line and too many others begin their lives far again from the beginning line. These youngsters, by means of no fault of their very own, spend numerous their lives making an attempt to catch up, simply making an attempt to achieve the group who’re already on their manner the day they arrive. Many don’t ever attain that purpose and, as a society, it’s as much as all of us to attempt to give these youngsters a lift, to not present a free trip however merely to supply all that we will to beat the challenges that they’ve confronted.

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So it’s with nations. If you happen to reside in Canada, you might be already previous the beginning line in life.

Our schooling system is the same as or higher than most; our health-care system, a lot maligned in our personal nation, is envied and copied by others. I’ve usually stated, on this column, that if there’s a Twenty first-century Camelot, then Canada doubtless is about as near that as we’re going to see within the subsequent few many years.

As we rejoice this 155^th Canada Day weekend, let me mirror for a second on why I contemplate Canada to be a modern-day Camelot and why I feel it would take laborious work for us to all carry on this monitor into the longer term.

In the beginning, the British parliamentary system has served us very nicely for 15 many years. Oh sure, we like to bitch about Ontario and Quebec, the governor common or the Liberals or our native politicians, however there’s something we too usually neglect. We will certainly bitch and complain with out concern of repercussions. We will write letters to the editors or name in to speak exhibits with out fear that the key police will present up at our door. We will vote.

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Entrepreneurship and capitalism: They don’t seem to be at all times appreciated by our residents, however the means to get a job, begin an organization, make investments safely and easily work on daily basis and, sure, pay our taxes, is one thing that makes us sturdy as a nation. There are not any free rides in life at any degree, however realizing that the chance to work is accessible to all of us and that there are sturdy guidelines about employee security, good well being circumstances, affordable wage ranges and different legal guidelines to guard and maintain all staff is a power that we’ve got as a nation.

Well being Care and schooling: Think about strolling miles, carrying a child or a sick mum or dad to achieve a hospital that’s underequipped and understaffed. Think about making an attempt to care for somebody when recent water just isn’t out there. Our faculties are wonderful and we should be sure that political interference doesn’t creep into our curriculum, however our youngsters graduate well-educated and well-informed.

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Tolerance and faith: Faith divides extra nations and extra folks than it binds collectively. As we speak, a few of our most necessary allies are being torn into items by spiritual extremism whereas Canada has remained overwhelmingly tolerant and welcoming. Isn’t it unbelievable that some folks will be so sure that they’re proper, that they are going to violate the very fundamentals of their religion to persuade others they’re improper? We should at all times stand in opposition to racism and intolerance at each degree. That is Canada.

We reside in a rustic that provides us all unbelievable alternatives, and much more importantly, the instruments we have to seize these. Allow us to rejoice all that we’re, all that we’ve got and all that we will be. Allow us to shout out in celebration of this nice nation and vow to make sure that our petty annoyances, our minor inconveniences and our ongoing complaints by no means permit us to destroy what’s, in the present day and should be, far into the longer term, one of many best experiments in nationhood that has ever existed.

Allow us to all rejoice Canada with pleasure and an open coronary heart.

George H. Brookman is the chairman and firm ambassador for WCD Ltd.