Thank you Canada…
In his first United Nations General Assembly address as Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau said:
“In Canada we got a very important thing right. Not perfect, but right.
In Canada, we see diversity as a source of strength, not weakness. Our country is strong not in spite our differences, but because of them.”
For some reason this resonated deeply with me. Even though I’m not from Canada, when he said that- it made me feel Canadian. It made me think of how much Canada has made me grow into the person that I am today.
I first came to Canada in the summer of 2002 to a small camp in Tweed, Ontario called Quin-Mo-Lac; I was only 8 years old at the time. Some of my fellow campers got a little homesick from time to time, I however had the camp blues after leaving camp and Canada.
Every summer for more than 10 years, I came to summer camp in Canada. First as a camper and then as a volunteer counsellor. I actually think that about half of my birthdays have been celebrated up here.
It was then that I seriously considered coming to Canada for university. I’ve been in Canada as a temporary resident (student) since 2013, but Canada has been educating and shaping me for 15 years.
In Canada I’ve learned many things. Such as:
- Milk can come out of bags
- Drake is a national treasure
- Poutine can be eaten at any time of the day
- Every night is Hockey Night in Canada (pretty much)
While the things above might be amusing, Canada has taught me two things that I will never forget:
- The genuineness of people.
- The faith that people have in one another.
Canada has shown me that people can truly be genuine, not because they are hoping to get something in return but because they really do care about one another.
Furthermore, Canada has shown me what it means to have faith in one another. And no, I’m not talking about the faith Leafs fans have every season to win the Stanley Cup. I’m talking about the every day faith that people have of their friends, peers, and relatives to go out and make a positive contribution to their communities.
On July 1st, Canada turned 150. My parents came up from Mexico to join my brother and me in the celebrations. We are currently in the Toronto airport and about to go to Newfoundland for a week; our first trip to the Canadian East Coast.
I’m grateful for all that Canada has done for me in the past and I am excited for what it has in store for me in the future. Today, I’m glad that I can call this my home. A home that values me for who I am as a person.
I came to Canada for the first time on this week, 15 years ago. I thought I was just going to do some canoeing and rock climbing, little did I know that I was gonna get much more.
Thank you and happy 150 Canada!!
