Creating Space

When change is thrust upon us, it can change people with it, but when it does, it’s important to remember where you’re from. The importance of this essay is it depicts a time in history when change occurred to a people who, willing or not, did not see the coming effect it would have. This will cover Al Pittman’s, The Day I Became A Canadian, and his point of view on how changing nationalities belittled his country. This will also examine how his writing, being rhetorical elements like sentence structure and diction, enhances his writing, bringing out more emotion in the reader.

Canada like Laurence, was forced to face the hardships involved with growing up. However, the black marks in history does not define Canada , it is how Canada learns from their mistakes and moves forward. Laurence explains through her microcosm of a prairie town that along with growth comes the formation of perspective that will forever affect one's future decisions .

In Canadian history, nationalism and sovereignty tend to be common themes prevalent since Confederation. A well-known example of this in Quebec was during the Quiet Revolution which strengthened the need for change through Premier Lesage’s reforms and in turn, developed a strong sense of nationalism in Quebec. In contrast to beliefs that the rapid modernization of the Quiet Revolution had a positive impact on Quebec, it rather had a negative impact on Quebec and its citizens and identity. The three consequences which arose in Quebec as a result of the revolution are the encouragement of separatism, the elimination of traditional values and roles and the establishment of powerful bureaucratic control. Quebec’s attempt to be more like the

Maurice “Rocket” Richard, a legendary hockey player of the mid-twentieth century for the Montreal Canadiens, is recognized for his profound dedication and impact for the game of hockey. His influence, nevertheless, extends beyond hockey, especially for French Canadians in Quebec. As French-English relations in the province and in the National Hockey League were strained during the 1950s and 1960s, French Canadians looked to Richard as a culturally significant figure. While Maurice Richard himself would say that he was simply a hockey player, his effect on French Canadians impacted politics and culture in Quebec. This essay will argue that Maurice Richard’s identity as a French Canadian was in constant struggle within the English

Duncan Campbell Scott was a Canadian bureaucrat in the Department of Indian Affairs (DIA), who was born and lived all his life in Ottawa, Ontario. By profession he was known as Deputy Superintendent General of the DIA and was tasked with overseeing the Residential of the Canadian Government. By pass time, Scott came to be known as a famous poet who, at the height of his poetic career, was even acclaimed as the “poet laureate” of Canada (CLASS MOVIE). His poetry to an ignorant audience is artistically written, with emphasis on the beauty of Canada’s landscape and culture. To those with deeper knowledge of Scott in his personal and professional livelihood, however, his poetic work is filled with racism, hypocrisy and grave injustice to the Indigenous people of Canada. At the time of his writing, his views on the assimilation, or more bluntly the eradication, of the Indigenous people of Canada was not uncommon. As Canadians have become more socially minded and aware of the inequality and inhumanity that history brought upon this group, his previously celebrated works have been widely debated.

Many people across the globe argue that nationalism within Canada is simply not feasible. It is said that we as a people, differ so greatly with our diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds that we cannot come together and exist together as a strong, united nation. In his book, Lament for a Nation, George Grant tells the reader that “…as Canadians we attempted a ridiculous task in trying to build a conservative nation in the age of progress, on a continent we share with the most dynamic nation on earth. The current history is against us.” (1965) Originally directed towards the Bomarc Missile Crisis, the book argues that whatever nationalism Canada had was destroyed by globalization as well as the powerful American

When it comes to Canadian History, perhaps the most controversial and widely disputable topic of debate would have to be one of Canada’s greatest wars: The War of 1812. A wide array of views are held on many aspects of the war ranging from who won to what ramifications the war would ultimately sire. In yet another discussion on the ever so controversial War of 1812, a new question was posed and deliberated by five historians: whose war, was it? Like any other question posed about this war a multitude of ideas would ultimately arise in each of their differing viewpoints. In their roundhouse discussion, the historians would ultimately serve to paint the War of 1812 as a war that transcends much further than the nationalistic view. A view that, though an important part of Canadian history, has been exaggerated to the point of choking out the many voices who fought and continue to fight for inclusion in the narrative. In their remembrance of the War of 1812, society unwittingly failed history in their lackluster commemorations which exclude important narratives and voices and stand tainted by the misuse of history to serve the nationalistic agenda.

Jocelyn Letourneau’s is a history professor that wrote the essay “Reconstructing the Canadian Identity”. The author argues that if one compares the Harper government's idea of conservatism against Trudeau’s idea of multiculturalism, the reader can infer that multiculturalism is failing and Canada should go back to its monarch roots. By bringing back symbols of monarchy, a new Canadian perspective would form. Letourneau’s essay is structured in a very well and composed matter. His arguments and connections are structured in proper format where his whole essay can be linked and understood easily by the average individual. Although Letourneau’s essay is structured in a proper format, it is without its faults. The essay contains many fallacies that give his arguments a weak perspective on the topic. Also throughout his essay, the author appears to be taking a side within his argument. His bias viewpoint makes himself, and his work uncredible to the reader.

Nationalism is an important aspect of national pride and identity for countries around the world. For example, Canada takes pride in its cultural identity, one that is claimed to be different from other ‘Western’ more ‘industrialized’ nations, such as countries in Europe, and the United States. Even though Canada currently has a national identity that differs greatly from that of other more established countries, history has dictated the way in which a particular national identity exists today. In Canada, Samuel De Champlain and the French established colonies that created a cultural clash between the French Europeans, and First-Nations Canadians within the country. However, this notion of French Canadian Nationalism isn’t necessarily embraced by all of the Canadian Population. This paper seeks to analyze important pieces of Canadian History that have contributed to a broken concept of what constitutes Canadian nationalism, with an emphasis on how historic events prevent and affect coherent Canadian Nationalism in modern society. Through the analysis of the notions and histories associated with ‘First-Nations Nationalism’, ‘Quebecois Nationalism’, and a broader ‘Anti-American’ identity embraced by many Canadians, this paper seeks to locate common ground within the culturally diverse Canadian population in order to progress toward a singular coherent

Canada might have been one of the best places in the world but for me and Tim, Canada is a lot more than that. For Tim O’ Brien’s “On the Rainy River”, Canada is freedom: freedom from the draft letter that pressures him to go to war, freedom from the war that he never understood and always hated, freedom from the dirt, tent, and mosquitoes, freedom from that dense greasy pig-stink and blood clots in the slaughterhouse, freedom from his country, and freedom from his conscience… or is it? On the other hand, for me, Canada is separation: separation from the friends and family who I most

The concept of recognizing Quebec as a distinct society is an idea that has been kicking around for some time, but just what does it mean and what are its broader implications? This paper will examine the origins of the term, what it means, and its historical context. It will then examine rival interpretations of federalism. The essay will conclude with an in-depth examination of the concept's involvement with the failed constitutional accords and the failed Quebec succession attempts.

In this paper, I will discuss Brian Gabrial’s article, “The Second Revolution”: Expressions of Canadian Identity in News Coverage at the Outbreak of the United States Civil War. Gabrial’s article is about how the Canadian identity was challenged by the American Civil War. In particular, he argues that Canadian identity is significant in five important themes: the importance of British identity, antipathy toward Americanism and suspicion of American democracy, a well-grounded fear of American militarism, a patronizing sympathy for Americans in crisis and liberal and conservative political threads. After summarizing Gabrial’s main arguments, I shall be claiming that the article has valuable points for many different reasons.

What is Canada? What is a Canadian? Canada, to employ Voltaire's analogy, is nothing but “a few acres of snow.”. Of course, the philosopher spoke of New France, when he made that analogy. More recently, a former Prime Minister, Joe Clark, said that the country was nothing but a “community of communities”. Both these images have helped us, in one way or another, try to interpret what could define this country. On the other hand, a Canadian could be a beer, a hockey-playing beaver or even a canoe floating in a summer day's sunset. A Canadian could also be a “sovereigntyphobe”, refusing to see the liquefaction, albeit political, of the second largest country in the world.

Tomkins Park, my choice for a space which encapsulates both the ideas of diversity and how that urban form and constrains a certain group was challenging to decide upon, both on the side how that space affects a particular group such as women, and how such a space may change, becoming more accepting of that group. I chose a space, which was seemingly public and has a great level of diversity of who uses this public space. I decided to partake in an observational study of Tomkins Park, located in Calgary’s Beltline neighbourhood of 17th Avenue. A relatively small public space, which straddles several busy roads and businesses. My reasoning for choosing this space was the amenities Tomkins Park offers, a public restroom, free to make use of

Canadian literature is an extensive field which has created a lot of memorable works of literature. Even though Canadian literature began as an extension of colonial literature, in course of time it has developed its own national characteristics. Early Canadian literature was heavily influenced by the traditions of the mother countries. However, by the early twentieth century writers began to discover their distinctly Canadian voices and expressed them through their writings.