I miss my Canada

I remember Canada as a land blessed either by fortune, or the Creator, a land rich in opportunity, and natural splendour.  Canadians were kind, generous and welcoming. 

Surrounded by the beauty of nature, Canadians recognised the intrinsic value of the environment and worked to protect it.  When the dangers of acid rain were realised, Canadians worked with their friends in the United States to eliminate the industrial emissions that caused sulfuric acid contamination in the rain.  When Canadians found that unsustainable logging practices were resulting in erosion of the soil needed to give life to the next generation of trees, they changed forestry practices so that every tree harvested today will be replaced by a new one. 

The Government of Canada valued ALL of its citizens.  Diversity in opinion was valued, whether the opinion political, religious or otherwise.  The preferred solution to any given situation was a compromise, that might not have given an absolute victory to one side over the other, but which gave each party an understanding that their position had been heard, respected, and addressed. 

Canadians looked at their own lives, and saw that many of their own could not access medical care.  So they introduced a system that allowed all Canadians to access medical care.  They were still allowed to choose their own doctor, and even some alternate medical services were covered.

Canadians valued the work of others.  Although the system was imperfect, Canadian employers and unions found a way to negotiate contracts that shared the fruits of labour with both owners and workers.  Strikes occurred, on occasion, and sometimes the government stepped in to force mediation between both sides, but the most common result was a contract accepted by all parties.

When Canadians looked outside their borders at countries afflicted by poverty and war, their hearts wept.  Canada sent her soldiers, wearing the blue berets of the United Nations, to stand between warring factions.  Canada sent her engineers, doctors, nurses and teachers to provide aid to the afflicted and to help build or rebuild developing societies.  Canada welcomed the refugees of foreign conflicts into her society, providing a new life to those who previously had known fear.

Canadians knew that they were more fortunate than others.  Canada was a leader in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.  Canada was a leader in the international campaign to ban land mines.  Canada assisted African nations to control HIV/AIDS.  A Canadian general presided over the peace negotiations between the British Government and the IRA.  As at home, Canada sought compromise between factions, to find a middle ground between factions, recognising that each party to a conflict had valid concerns, and that these concerns needed to be addressed in order to achieve resolution to the conflict.

I know I am maudlin.  I know I am dreaming of a place that may never have existed in reality, but it exists in my memories and I want it back.  I only wish I knew how to get there.