I finally made it home to Canada. While I grew up here, I have not lived here for over a decade.

I usually get back once a year to see my parents but the pandemic as well as Canada’s strict Covid restrictions delayed my trip back.

But I finally made it here and after quarantining I have been released!

Canada is having a tough summer with many calling to cancel the Canada Day celebrations. 

The reason is the recent discovery of unmarked mass graves outside several residential schools that were primarily used to educate Canada’s Indigenous children. 

Stories of terrible abuse are surfacing and those who endured some of it are still alive today.

Since most of these schools were run by the Catholic Church in Canada there has been a lot of outrage.

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has asked the Pope to apologize but I don’t think that’s happened.

For a country like Canada, known for cold winters, Justin Beiber, ice hockey and mild manners, such a discovery has been an embarrassment and I’ve not met one Canadian who feels good about any of this. 

Some cities and towns are actually cancelling Canada Day.

But I heard a woman say something that resonated for me. 

She said, “I’m not celebrating the Canada of 1900. I’m celebrating the Canada of 2021. A Canada that’s not perfect but it’s willing to take responsibility and right it’s wrongs.”

I liked that, because I feel there has been enough cancelling of things. And while it has been an embarrassment for Canada, everyone here wants to fix what needs to be fixed and all of this has sparked conversations that hopefully will lead to changes that will affect those living. 

So Canada Day will go on, although a little more subdued this year, but we will still celebrate a pretty great nation despite our shortcomings.