This evening I had a very interesting discussion about whether a European identity exists and what it might be. I've seen similar issues brought up during the Scottish referendum as to whether or not a single British identity exists vs Scottish identity. Since I identify as Canadian I don't have a good answer to these questions except to point out what a Canadian identity is. However, I must admit I didn't manage to explain it very well hence this blog.
So what is Canadian identity?
First and foremost is multiculturalism. Canada is a country of immigrants and we kind of love it. Torontonians boast that they can visit little Italy, Chinatown, little India, or Koreatown. The Canadian view on multiculturalism is often described as "a mosaic" each person can retain their original cultural identity as it will add to the overall beauty of the image. This is in contrast to the USA's 'melting-pot' which expects immigrants to assimilate much more. Or the British 'tolerance' which just puts up with immigrants because it is necessary to be competitive in the global economy but they hope the immigrants won't make much of a mess.
Something that goes along with multiculturalism is valuing the compromise and moderation. One of our political heroes is Sir Wilfred Laurier who is known as the 'great compromiser' thanks to policies of moderation and conciliation between anglophone and francophone communities. Another one (Lester B Pearson) lead two consecutive minority governments thus was forced to cooperate with other parties. In addition, as a rarity amongst Western nations the major political party (which has ruled the majority of the time Canada has been a nation) is a centrist party rather than a left or right leaning party as seen in the UK and the USA.
Another big part is wilderness. Canadians believe wilderness is something wonderful to be enjoyed. Wild animals like bears or wolves are beautiful creatures deserving of respect not fear or hate. In contrast the British fear wilderness, they like things to be tamed, managed, and controlled. While the Americans view it more as something to be conquered and exploited, wild animals need to be kept in their place away from everything that belongs to people.
Something that goes along with wilderness is valuing the struggle against adversity rather than winning or losing. Canadians at times enjoy combating high winds or heavy snow. Similarly we like hockey players fighting each other (despite the fact that these fights have little if any effect on the outcome of the game). This is in direct contrast with the USA identity which values winning above all else. One example of this is in reality-shows Canadian contestant will say they think they are strong competitors and that they think they have a good shot at winning (but they often chafe at what they consider unfair tactics by other competitors) but American contestants regularly claim their winning is a certainty and brag about being willing to do whatever it takes to win.
Similar to compromise and moderation Canadian identity is also about cooperation. Whether this is being involved in peace-keeping through the UN, or helping our allies when they call on us in time of war. Within our own country provinces subsidize each other and individuals trust and cooperate with each other far more than in other countries like the USA or UK. There is nothing like a big snow storm to bring a community together in digging out. Cooperation also means we treasure the value of apologies, going so far as to release doctors from any legal ramifications if they apologize to their patients for mistakes/errors/accidents. Canadians are often the first one to apologize even when the conflict is not their fault.
The final part of Canadian identity I will discuss is the valuing of practicality. Our Constitution promises us "peace, order, and good government" rather than "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" of the USA. Our history also reflects this with many decisions being made in order to avoid problems seen in other places (eg. avoid violent conflict between Catholics and Protestants, or avoid political gridlock seen in the USA). I suspect we also value the practical skills of the handyman far more than other countries (as evidenced by the success of "Canada's Worst Handyman" TV show and the long running "Red Green Show" which contained a duck-tape-centric handyman segment in every episode). Similarly our banking system is set up and regulated so that it works effectively rather than to be 'innovative', other aspects of our economy echo this as we rely on natural resources more than innovation or creative industries.
