Happy Canada Day!
Today, our beautiful country turns 142! This is probably the one day out of the entire year that I’m sad I no longer live in Ottawa. I grew up in the capital, and while I generally found it quite unexciting, Canada Day was always filled with happiness, activity, and celebration. The fireworks on Parliament Hill are amazing!
This is my first Canada Day in Montreal, and unfortunately, I’m too sick to go see the fireworks at the Vieux Port.
Canada Day is a celebration of all peoples who inhabit this land, so it’s important to remember the struggles of the First Nations peoples. It’s sad that those who originally populated this land, long before the English and French came, are now disproportionately victims of poverty and racism. The recent H1N1 scare illustrates that First Nations people are more susceptible to virus outbreaks like this, and more should be done to mitigate the effects of pandemic illnesses among their population.
