Canadian Values

Canadian Values

By: Kylie Conroy

Like every country, Canada has values that are very important to us. Canadians value; diversity, fairness, health, education, and safety to just state a few. As a Canadian I feel that Canada's values reflect on the values I have.

I feel that to be a Canadian, you obtain values that as a whole, the country believes as well. Not just saying that you have those values but also showing that and appreciating what Canada does to support their values.

Canada's values attract people to immigrate to our country because they believe in the same values or wish to live somewhere where these things are represented. The same as any country, Canada has pull factors; things that make you want to go to a country. We have free healthcare and education, but with that comes the large amount of taxes we have to pay to have these things free. Canada also represents freedom and safety to others and acceptance so that when immigrants do decide to move here they want to stay and they enjoy it.

(Click below)
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/06/29/we-asked-canadians-to-describe-canada-in-one-word-they-did-not_a_23006738/?utm_hp_ref=ca-canadian-values

In the video above you realize that Canada is home to many different people. With people choosing their words to describe Canada, they chose multiculturalizm and diversity, therefore we have many people and different cultures from around the world that chose to come to Canada. They are happy and everyone else is happy they did. Somebody also chose hockey as their word, hockey brings the country together as a whole. 

We can describe what Canada is but when asked what it means to be Canadian, that is very broad, we don't necessarily know what it means to be Canadian. From the dictionary a Canadian is "a native or inhabitant of Canada." So, yes we live in Canada but what does it mean to you? Most just express themselves in the stereotypes like friendly and polite but being like that doesn't make you Canadian, that just makes you a kind person. Although Canada is filled with kind people, to be Canadian is something deeper, that we don't discriminate, we don't judge due to differences because Canada is a diverse country that includes all. Canada has many different cultures, traditions, languages, and religions that all combine together to support the values we have of: freedom, fairness, health and education, safety, and diversity.

I love to be Canadian and I embrace it, as Canada is very diverse, we still value the same things as a whole and we are a distinct type of people that I am proud to be familiarized with. Although we do have our problems like anywhere else, it's the way we are trying to change is what makes people the most proud.

Works Cited

arms holding canadian flags. Next Stop Canada, nextstopcanada.ca/success-next-stop-canada-immigrants/. Accessed 8 Jan. 2018.

Canada map made of words. Muskoka Language International, www.mliesl.com/our-values.html. Accessed 8 Jan. 2018.

"Canadian Values." Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_values. Accessed 8 Jan. 2018.

Reflecting Canadian Values. Canadian Index of Wellbeing. uwaterloo, uwaterloo.ca/canadian-index-wellbeing/about-canadian-index-wellbeing/reflecting-canadian-values. Accessed 7 Jan. 2018.

I am Canadian and I truly appreciate that but I also appreciate the different countries and cultures my ancestors had that make me who I am today. I am Scottish and Ukrainian but a third generation Canadian on my dad's side and fifth generation Canadian on my mom's side.

My Grandma and Grandpa on my Dad's side actually didn't come to Canada very long ago, they immigrated in 1954. My Grandpa's sister and husband-in-law immigrated over to Canada in 1952 and encouraged my grandparents to join them in this new country. My grandpa and grandma didn’t have the money so fly the three of them over (my eldest aunt has just been born) so my grandpa went and worked for a little while and later had enough money to fly my grandma over. My grandma came over to Canada with less than $5.00 in her pocket, but my grandparents tried their hardest and made a life for themselves and their growing family, that was better than it would have been.

In terms of keeping the Scottish culture in our everyday lives, we don't really. We still eat some Scottish dishes including; Meat Pies, Fish and Chips, Shortbread, and Scones. Every time my Grandpa and Grandma come up to watch my brother, sister and I, we always go for Fish and Chips. I guess we created our own traditions with some things coming from their Scottish culture.

On my Mom's side we have the Ukrainians. My great grandmother, my Bobba, and her family immigrated from the Ukraine to Saskatchewan when my Bobba was just a young girl. As a teenager, her family moved to Ontario for job opportunities as most did. Then from there she met the love of her life and although I never knew my great-grandfather, I know he was a good man because he raised my Mom's father and he was amazing. Just like the Scottish side of my family, we still eat Ukrainian food but we don't celebrate much more from the culture which is disappointing. After all the years you lose the culture and once you lose that, it is very hard to get back.

Works Cited

Conroy, Margaret. Interview. 27 Nov. 2017.

Family Reunion

Fournier Family Reunion

Fournier, Mary. Family Reunion Photo. 2014

Every year we have a reunion of the Fournier's and extended family. This reunion was started by my mom’s uncle in 1974. It started in his backyard, every august the Fournier family came and they would have a big party with all the cousins. This continued in my mom’s uncle’s backyard for 13 years until he sadly passed away. My mom’s aunt still hosted with lots of help from some of the cousins but after a while, she had to move so the party could no longer go on. But then some of the cousins stepped up and said they could be the new hosts of the reunion so the Fournier Party could live on.

Every year, we drive down to Windsor to go to this family party. We do a lot of fun things that everyone participates in. Everyone brings some different food for everyone to have as a buffet dinner, but we always roast a pig. We also have egg throw, horseshoe tournament, Volleyball games in the pool, and a big frisbee game. Fournier, Mary. Family Reunion Photo. 2011 It is important that we keep this Reunion going because it really keeps the family close because honestly, how many people can say they know, like really know their 6th cousins. One year, the recent hosts of the party could not host that year as there was some sickness, so my family stepped up and we hosted the family party at our cottage. Although it was a bit different as it was in Muskoka and not in Windsor, we still made the most of the time because we were spending time with our family. I hope to keep this Fournier Party going on so I can expose my future family to the loving and close family. ---. Interview. 29 Oct. 2017.