Canadians say that the things they feel strongest about that are truly Canadian are the flag, the military and hockey, in that order.
I remember when the new Canadian flag was introduced 1965, a lot of people, including myself, didn't much like it but I guess it has grown on me as I accept it now. I still don't like the fact the leaf is red which is usually the colour of a leaf in its last stage of life.
Most people don't think Canada has much of a military. Sure, it's small compared to some countries, but Canadians have always answered the call when needed including many members of my family in WW1 and WW2. The photo above is Corporal Martin Dube, the most recent fallen Canadian soldier in Afghanistan. These are the people we must thank on Canada Day.
This picture of my son is similar to millions of pictures taken by Canadian parents. Yeah, if you were born in Canada, chances are that you've gotten up at 4:30am to be taken by one of your parents to a rink to play hockey. It wasn't until I was about 12 that I realized that most other countries didn't even play the game. I don't like the fact that going to a NHL game has become an elitist thing to do given the price of a ticket and a couple of beers. I do however still enjoy watching it on TV. Why? Because I'm a Canadian, and proud of it.