Canada 150: So Many Ways to Be Canadian


When we think of Canada, perhaps some of the first things that come to mind are the images seen in the collage above: First Nations totem poles side-by-side European-inspired architecture, mountains and trees, a sense of both vast wilderness and friendly serenity. It may surprise you, then, that none of those photographs are actually from Canada: I took them on a trip to Disneyworld several years ago, at the Canada Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase.

 So why start here?

 As someone who immigrated to Toronto from Hong Kong as a toddler, and as someone who is fascinated by Canadian culture and history, this Canada Day on July 1, 2017, is particularly significant as the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 1867. In reflecting on what makes Canada the way it is, a depiction like the one above, as kitschy as it is, gives us a good glimpse as to how Canadian culture and identity is presented to the rest of the world.

 Some other examples (this time, using photographs I've actually taken in Canada):

We can think about Canadian symbols, like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, beavers - and, yes, moose as well.

We can think of Canadian heroes, like our war veterans, Laura Secord, or Terry Fox.


We can talk about our natural landscapes, from coast to coast, from summer to winter.
We can talk about how, despite it all, many of us Canadians are ultimately urban.

 Indeed, all things considered, we can speak of Canada as a series of contradictions. Sometimes, it seems that there are so many things that we are that any attempt to dig beneath the surface of stereotype leads to a state of confusion. How do we both pride ourselves on our multiculturalism while retaining symbols of a British colonial history and while some demographic groups are still advantaged and privileged over others? How do we speak about being the "Great, White North" while living in an urban south and complaining about the snow and ice every single year?

 What, then, makes us Canadian?

 In the spirit of Little Big Things, I believe that there is no one grand overarching entity that we can call Canadian-ness. Rather, I think that Canadian culture and identity is made up of lots of little things, some of which will inevitably resonate more for us than others. Canadian-ness is, therefore, very individual: what one Canadian takes pride in will be different from another. And I love that this country allows us to do just that.

Image Credits

All photographs (c) Kitty Na

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