O-kay, Canada

Okay, Canada. Now is our chance. It’s our time to shine. The world needs us.

Just when you thought the world couldn’t get any crazier. It did. What we hoped would go away after 600 days of drama, has just been granted a 1,460-day extension. Brace yourself.

But the good news for us is that it wasn’t our election. Though we probably followed it more closely than most Americans did. So now what?

Now it’s time to stop worrying about what we can’t control and focus on what we can. Our country. Our provinces. Our cities. Ourselves. Our Canada.

The world has delivered a golden opportunity into our laps. County after country wants to put up walls, discriminate against religion, stop free trading, hurl insults at cultures, not share currencies, ignore refugees, pollute irresponsibly, and lie without recourse. Now is our chance.

Now is the time for us to go further than ever before as a global leader. Once we get our immigration website up and running again, (sorry Americans we don’t accept faxes), we can get back to business of being Canadian. As Air Canada says, or maybe it was Obama, “The world needs more Canada.”

Let’s give it to them.

Let’s give the world a country that helps people leave their war-torn homeland. A country that uses its personal wealth to support their path to safety, then embraces them and their culture when they are here.

We can be a place where artisans and cultural leaders can ply their trade without the fear of interference.

Definitely we should build walls. Climbing walls for your children. New homes with bright coloured walls for those who are displaced. Walls of Fame where we recognize our achievers. Walls of Shame where we hold the worlds villains accountable. Walls of new businesses, new schools, new pools, new museums, and new community centres.

We should be a country that brings civility to discord. It’s okay to have your own political affiliation. Let’s just stick to the focus of improving our communities. More importantly, get involved. Volunteer. Coach. Teach. Lobby. Campaign.

O Canada we have been given a gift horse. We are having a little party next year for our 150th birthday. We should all invite people to come visit. Even people we don’t know. We should all spend 100% of our vacation dollars here. Travel the country. Celebrate our birthday with our fellow citizens. See Newfoundland, run across the Prairies, or discover the North. Open your homes, your businesses, your lives to the world.

A perfect storm has been created for us to take advantage of. We can be the Number One country in the world. If we aren’t already. In fact we don’t need to be Number One. We just need to be us.

What is that?

It’s whatever you want it to be. Because you have a country that wants you to be free. You live in a nation where opportunity is unlimited. You live on a land that has seen mistakes made, but is trying hard to repair them.

O Canada, let’s do this.