Why We’re not Proud of our Country

Canadian nationalism is dwindling in Millennials, to no one’s surprise

Gone are the days when Canadians sang their national anthem crying tears of pride and joy. Singing the anthem seems more like a chore than a tribute nowadays—an obsolete tradition that we’re all forced through, full of reluctance and lip-syncing.

Whereas the Americans flip their lids every time a flag is burned, I find it difficult to imagine myself blinking an eye at the desecration of our country’s flag, no matter how disrespectful the motive may be. Canada Day is nothing more than an excuse to stay home and enjoy sleeping in. Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you where it lands on the calendar. 40 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 agree.

That isn’t to say that we are not grateful for living here. I feel impossibly fortunate to have been given such a privileged life. Canada is one of the most safe and liberal places on the planet, and its general values align neatly with many of my ideals. There is a reason why people travel from all over the world to be here, and I myself have happily returned to Vancouver after spending years living in the United States.

It is widely known that the people there are much more nationalistic than Canadians. Although their country is full to the brim with issues—from horrifically common shootings to hilariously corrupt politicians—the Americans love it to bits.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with patriotism, but it is easy to make fun of. From the outside looking in, pride attached to a geographical location can seem illogical and strange, but there’s more to Canada’s lack of national pride than that.

Maybe it’s because we’ve lost touch with our identity. Once, Canada was the peacekeeping leader of the world. Back then we had something to be proud of.

Until Trudeau came into office, that facet of Canada’s personality had been long forgotten. Not only had we dropped peacekeeping—we did the opposite. The Harper government basically revolved around pissing people off, whether it be Indigenous Canadians or the population in the Middle East. Even with Trudeau here, the damage is done. It feels relatively irreversible, and we haven’t seen much concrete change.

Maybe we say we’re not proud because our community is diverse and globally connected. So many cultures exist and thrive here that it would be impossible to identify with them all. It makes more sense that we would be proud of our diversity, but even that is not without its flaws. There’s no doubt that bigotry is still big here, and the news consistently reminds us of that.

Media also reminds us of everything that Canada has done and is doing wrong. Now that youth are constantly bombarded by national and international stories, they have learned through experience to criticize and rally their government, instead of blindly trust.

There is a personal aspect for Canadian youth too. Many of us feel like our country has failed us.

Young Canadians are overwhelmingly burdened by debt, unemployment, and a lack of housing. Many of us feel like the path to adulthood is blocked by nearly insurmountable obstacles, and only the generations of citizens and politicians before us are to blame.

Our parents had more security, more cause to trust authority, and reason to value Canada’s place in international politics than we do. If the country we live in cannot support us—if they cannot be dignified in their identity as peacekeepers or changemakers—we cannot trust it. And if we cannot trust it, we cannot be proud.