Is canada losing its identity

"Is there still enough Canadiana in Canada?"

"Liapkin rolled one to Savard... Savard cleared the pass to Stapleton, He cleared to the open wing to Cournoyer, Cournoyer took a shot! The defenseman fell over Liapkin... Now Cournoyer has it on the wing... There's a shot! Henderson makes a wild stab for it and fell... Here's another shot... right in front... Henderson has scored for Canada!" - Foster Hewitt, September 1972

If you were a Canadian on that fabled day in '72, you most likely knew where you were, what you were doing and how old you were. Most Canadians were huddled around TV sets and radios when Paul Henderson scored with 34 seconds remaining in the 8th game to win the Summit Series challenge for Canada against the Soviets. I personally wasn't born 9 years, 1 month later, however, I know the story all too well and it has a place in my heart as many vintage Canadian moments do. The question is, do many people still view themselves as proud Canadians? Many think we are simply the 51st state or a refugee dump station for other countries.

As the world drives into the 21st century, technology is taking an increasing role in everyone's lives. New innovations, such as the Internet, are making every corner of the world closer. This is known as globalization. Where before countries were thought to be quite distant, today, we can travel and converse quicker then we ever could before. I believe it's this reason why Canadians feel that they're no longer their own sovereign country. This makes our country more accessible to other nations. Because of it, more people are visiting our corner of the globe and then moving here when they realize what a great place it is to live. Many feel our current immigration policy is a bit out of control and that many Canadian-born residents are losing jobs. However, Canada is a country that is largely founded by the early immigration by early-1800's Europeans so diversity is a part of our heritage. Many feel it's the American influence on our society that is causing our loss in identity.

In the last 20 years, many Canadian owned corporations have been bought out or simply lost out and closed in the competitive business market. Good examples are Woolco and Woodwards are out, American owned Walmart is in. Most small Canadian businesses can't compete with the large resources that the ever expanding American chains rely on. Does every new McDonalds opened mean another family business will go under? A great deal believe so. Media plays a big role in our Americanization as in any major Canadian center if you flip though the television channels you'll find more from the U.S. then up north. Canadians in these major centers are even watching U.S. News telecasts. It's no secret that the U.S.A. is our biggest trading partner and vice versa. So it's no shock with NAFTA and the largest unprotected border in the world that you would come to the conclusion that Canada is the 51st state.

Then there is the Quebec issue. How can a country call itself proud and dignified when 15% of it's population wants to separate? It's hard to control outer influences on a country like the U.S. businesses and media and it's even harder to control the worlds growing population and immigration to Canada. However, the issue of an internal section of Canada itself wanting out is the most complex and hardest to deal with. It dates back to those early settlers of Canada and the two conflicting mother tongues, English and French. Over the last 200 years, Canada has evolved into a ...

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