Indigenous Canadian here from northern Ontario.

Happy Canada Day! I know that many people I know want to remind everyone of the terrible things that happened to my family and my people over the centuries … I acknowledge that history but I also want to celebrate the significance of this country with you all today. We can respectfully acknowledge both at the same time.

I’ve been to over 30 countries in my life … I’ve wandered into rural Morocco, toured into city Cairo, went around Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Burma, I’ve been to India, Sri Lanka, gone to Cuba, Columbia and Peru and I’ve seen lots of Europe. Between seeing the world as a third world hell or an unreachable wealth in the first world … I know that we are very fortunate to be here in Canada, no matter who we are immigrant, indigenous, or born here … this is a great country.

Also no matter your politics (except for the extremists) we have a good system … very heavily influenced by money and power but every system in the world is … but we have a good system that gets better all the time.

As terrible as the things that happened to my dad through the residential school which he was forced to attend … he always reminded us of how great and amazing this country was. He lived through famine in the 1940s here in northern Ontario and he said that the fact that there are social support systems today means that people don’t just starve to death.

In my lifetime, none of the political advocacy we conduct as indigenous people wouldn’t be possible if we existed in an ultra conservative, intolerant government.

The one thing I want to see change is in dealing with extreme wealth and power in this country. There needs to be more wealth equality in this country and a system that spreads the wealth to more people everywhere. Corporations, companies, monopolies and the ultra wealthy shouldn’t control our lives so much. And that is a change that would benefit everyone … Indigenous and non indigenous.

Our views towards nationality are much saner than those to the south of us, and it’s one of the reasons why I’ve lived here all of my life.

I like not needing to be proud to be Canadian.

I love that Canada is an open, welcoming, peaceful society.

The rise of fascism needs to stop.

As a relatively new Canadian, I’m happy to be given the opportunity to build a life here and proud of how the culture is very welcoming. I love the country and its diversity.

There are a few things that need to change, but most importantly, the housing crisis needs to be addressed meaningfully. As a homeowner myself, it’s creating a massive divide between the ones who were able to get into the housing market vs the ones who weren’t.

The rising unaffordablility will manifest in many ways such as increasing crime, polarized views, fascism, extremism, aggressiveness, and so on.

In my opinion, the only thing that can substantially slow down or limit the rising costs is not just by simply building more homes, but actually banning home owners from owning, say, more than 3 properties (or any other number - there needs to be some sort of cap). But not sure if that’s even possible or ethical. Just my 2 cents.

As a Michigander, I will be eating a ton of poutine today in your honor. Stay classy Canada

The last shreds of what could be considered my national pride were torn away from me in June 2010. Nothing has been done to attempt to heal or even seriously acknowledge the damage that was done by politicians and police to the rule of law in Canada. Now I just live here, slowly dying, because I am too poor and disabled to leave and no one gives a fuck about disabled people in Ontario.

Pride: Hot take for my region, but I’m actually pretty happy with our federal government and the policies they come out with. Bill C-18 and C-22 recently, for instance. I also love how we take in the most immigrants per capita of any major Western country, I really feel like we’re doing our part to share this planet.

Change: Well, cost obviously. I don’t love our electoral system either (yes, I’m pissed Trudeau lied about fixing it). I worry quite a bit about our reliance on the US and on various private entities. Our history is dark, and has not been fully dealt with.

Not Canadian, but when I visited my Canadian aunt & uncle a few years back, they told me that a toll bridge from my last visit (Surrey BC) was no longer a toll, and that most toll projects drop the toll after they’re paid for. My experience in the states is that once a road is a toll road, that’s a new tax that’s never going away and often goes into the pockets of international investors. Made me love Canada a little bit more that day.

Also, the Butchart Gardens & Vancouver Island in general give me all the warm fuzzies for Canada. Happy Canada Day y’all!

I occasionally enjoy the fact that I can go to a hospital and get fixed up without extra charge – and I gladly pay extra tax for that, even though I make above the average. I’m proud to pay it. That my tax ends up 1% higher than it would be in America is another cherry on top.

I enjoy that I’m generally safe from gun violence, even in a major city – very different wariness level from when I was in NJ and NYC.

I have a few beefs. I am disappointed that I can’t openly talk about some of them. I will say that genociders should have reduced propaganda rights, but I know why that’s unpopular and if ordered back to Service to defend it I guess I’ll go.

I’d like to see us spend as much time worrying about our massive forests as we worry about Brazil’s massive forests. Protecting them as the Earth’s lungs is more a priority than we seem to demonstrate.

Lucky to be Canadian, proud to do my part so others can feel lucky too.

What need to change? Real steps toward reducing greenhouse gas. Stop subsidizing cars (even electric ones!) and invest all that money into public transport. That would be a good first step. Then maybe I’ll be proud to be Canadian.

Transit is some of the best in North America (particularly in Vancouver and Montreal), but housing is still a big problem.

Thanks for your input, and welcome to Canada!

I 100% agree with you about housing. Im no expert, but putting a cap on the number of properties an individual can own seems like a reasonable solution. I’d also be in favor of strict regulations concerning properties used as Airbnbs. Also, regulations that curb the number of investors buying up properties sight unseen.

That our county’s surface area is mostly wilderness and woodland while we still manage to thrive.

Need to crush housing interest and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

It’s kinda silly, but I’m proud that I can order a bag of weed online with my credit card and have it delivered to my door.

I don’t know about any straight up changes… there’s a lot of issues, but it seems things are being done, just not enough. Global warming is the big one. There is some effort being made there, but not nearly enough.

I love how progressive, open-minded, and welcoming Canadians are in general. I also love the natural beauty you can find all across the country.

I wish our government wasn’t so shortsighted about important issues like housing, monopolies, and corruption.