Happy Canada Day!

I have travelled to many countries in my life, and I can tell you it has made me a patriotic Canadian. Are we perfect? Of course not. But it is the only country I really want to live in. I regularly say to my American friends, “That wouldn’t happen in Canada,” or “In Canada, we do it this way…” especially when it comes to healthcare. I’m sure it’s kind of annoying.

Here in Alberta, there is what I believe is a small minority of people who would like to separate from Canada. Because of that, I wanted to make my favourite things all about Canada this month.

1. Canada advanced to the next round of the World Cup this year, and it’s a big deal! I won’t lie, I haven’t been following the games that closely. One thing I have noticed, though, is the contribution of immigrants to the teams in both Canada and Europe. The winning goal for Canada in the last game was scored by Stephen Eustáquio, who was born in Canada to Portuguese parents. I think immigrants add so much to our country – and not just by scoring goals in soccer! Canada is a melting pot, and we all benefit from that. For example, we get to enjoy amazing food from so many different cultures.

2. Robby Hoffman is a comedian I like. She was born in the U.S. but raised in Montreal. She has a pretty edgy Netflix special and she talks about coming back to Canada to perform in this interview and this interview. Her remarks include her love of  access to great food from all over the world.

3. The last thing I love is the Canada Strong Pass, which allows you to visit any national park for free. I hope to take advantage of it sometime this summer! Here is a resource to plan your trip.

These are just a couple of random things I love this month but there are lots of other reasons to love Canada. Let me know what you love about living here!