5 Comments
User's avatar
Sylvie Lamoureux's avatar

Thanks, Ian, for your powerful and timely message reminding us, in Canada, to cherish what we have, and to make a choice later this month that will best secure our country and our democracy.

Expand full comment
Barbara Goldbloom-Hughes's avatar

Ian, I couldn’t agree more, but I do wish that our elected officials would model that respect for differences of opinion, both during election campaigns and in the daily give and take of parliamentary discussions. Too often, the attacks are personal rather than on substance. I often muse, as a retired primary school teacher, that the behaviour we see in our politicians would not be tolerated in our classrooms.

Expand full comment
David Goldbloom's avatar

Well said, Ian. My American friends are more than mildly surprised when I tell them that it is part of our political cultural expectation that national leaders participate effectively in live debates in both official languages. One of those friends said ruefully, “I’d settle for one language”. What we have seen around the world is that democracy can be fragile. We should be proud but not smug, respectful but not passive.

Expand full comment
Michael Cochrane's avatar

Well said Ian. It is estimated that 550,000 Americans file for bankruptcy each year due to medical debt. Canadians? 0 It is a blessing we often take for granted.

Expand full comment
Kristin Shannon's avatar

Ian, it’s a hard word to live up to isn’t it? It requires effort. Maturity. Thanks for reminding us. And BTW, you have gone “very far”!

Expand full comment