Canada Day

Living overseas for almost seventeen of my twenty four years has meant that any opportunity to show my national pride has always meant a great deal to me. This has never been more important than on July the 1st - Canada Day. Living in London I have been very lucky to be able to celebrate my nations 'birthday' at the Canadian High Commission since I moved here in 1998. It has always filled me with such joy and happiness to be able to be among my fellow countrymen, singing the national anthem and talking about friends and family that we have had to leave behind. For one day a year I feel like I'm home again.

This year and last year however, the High Commission in all it's wisdom has chosen to celebrate Canada Day at the end of June. For those of you who have not been to the celebrations at the High Commission in London before, it used to take place inside and was an intimate and enormously fun event. For the last two years the party has taken place outside in Trafalgar Square. The reason given for the celebrations not taking place on July the first has been that they could not book Trafalgar Square for that day. My question is why did they need to? Why would the High Commission compromise date for place? I think perhaps the High Commission has lost sight of why this day is important.

Being so far away from home, family and friends, July the 1st means so much more to me than it ever did before. Knowing that on that day you are joining millions of Canadians around the globe to celebrate means a great deal. It means that you are connected to all the people that you love, the country that are from and all the things that you are proud to be. We don't need some giant extravaganza. We just need each other.

In this world of growing uncertainties, this day gives me renewed hope and pride in my nation and what it stands for. I hope that the High Commission remembers what this day really means.

Story by - Emma Crofts. © 2007 CanadianCulture.com all rights reserved.

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