What do Canadians think ?
or
Asking Canadians
Canadians are remarkable in several ways. Many Canadians have developed close friendships that break through cultural, racial and ethnic barriers, this is a side effect of cultural diversity. It is easy to dismiss international problems if you have no intimate contact. My family is not elitist, we are Canadians. My wife's father, Poppa Rocks was born in Canada, his father and mother were immigrants from Croatia. One of her cousins has married a Canadian of Japanese descent whose parents were interred during the war, another has married a full blood Native Canadian, they live on a reserve. Gramma Rocks came from a large family, 11 kids, and her father and mother were immigrants from America (Illinois) and they still maintain contact with their American branch (Kansas). My family includes members in Quebec who are not English Canadians, they are French Canadians, I also have a cousin who has married an Israeli. My grandmother was a Metis, my Grandfather was the son of an Irish immigrant. My fathers father emigrated to Canada from Wales, my fathers mother came from an old Canadian family, the Fergusons. All my aunts on my mothers side have treaty cards as does my mother, you would never guess, they look like any other ladies in the bridge club or out leaf peeping. My wife's best friend met and married a Staff Sergeant stationed at Andrews Airforce Base. He was decorated for readiness at the completion of the Gulf War, he is too old to go over ot Iraq. My friends throughout my life have all been Canadians so I know people from all over the world. My best friend when I was young was from Scotland, his father came to a Canadian university to teach when he was a baby. He has long since moved back to a place called Betty Hill, he is a citizen of Scotland. My wife's brother and his wife live in Alberta and have a cottage on the Georgian Bay. Almost everyone can find a friend or a family member to visit in Toronto. I have a cousin who lives in Toronto, she has married into a large Italian family. I have another cousin who is a house husband, his wife is the primary breadwinner in their family, he was an excellent Jaguar mechanic. My sister has a boyfriend from Newfoundland, for awhile she went out with a loud young man from Lebanon, his favourite expression was "Lebanon, the soccer ball of the Middle East", and yes, he did love soccer. When you have good friends and relatives who are intimate with others all over the world, the impressions you get from your intimates will define your view.
I would not even begin to guess what other Canadians think. I do have an Aunt who lives in the Mike Harris riding, North Bay, she really didn't like Mr. Harris and swayed a lot of the family to her point of view, not my uncle though <s> |
