Canada Day in Ottawa. It was supposed to be a day of celebration. A day of contemplation, conversation, and something else that begins with ‘c.’ Instead, we find ourselves stunned by the utter hubris of our not commander-in-chief (that’s the Queen). In what was supposed to be a show of unity, the Prime Minister shouted the names of every province from his lofty pedestal in Ottawa, claiming “we may live in British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador. But we embrace that diversity while knowing in our hearts that we are all Canadians.”
No, Mr. Prime Minister. Clearly, we aren’t all Canadians. This country has an ugly history of disregarding and disenfranchising the collective spirit of the Albertan people. For too long, they have been ignored by Ottawa, despite being integral to the beautiful tapestry of the nation which our dear leader claims to love to fervently. When will it end, Mr. Prime Minister? When will you acknowledge that Albertans are treated like second-class citizens in our society?
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel took to Facebook–where all the most impactful activists are–and quickly denounced the Prime Minister’s failure to acknowledge the plight of the Albertan people. “On the day we celebrate unity, on the day we celebrate the things that make us better because we’re a strong and united country, he forgot our province.” declared Rempel courageously.
150 years. This beautiful nation has graced the continent with its presence for a century and a half. By the grace of what only could be described as divine providence, the peoples of British North America came together in the common ideal of peace, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness peace, order, and ‘good government.’
Still, I, like all Canadians, can be forgiving. This nation is great not only because of our glorious past, but our ability to reconcile it with the changing attitudes of the present. It is my hope that the Prime Minister issues an official apology, and works with the community leaders of Alberta to bring them back into the fold of Canada as an equal partner.
Albertans–you will not be forgotten.
ps: Did anyone see that tepee thing on Parliament Hill? What was that about?