Tuesday, September 14, 2004

CANADIAN CULTURE

As previously mentioned, I attended The Tragically Hip concert here in Kingston on Sunday. It was a great day filled with great music. It was an event that got people talking, got people singing, got people excited and most importantly brought people together for a shared experience. And this type of community event that happens everyday across this country.

Whether the event is large or small, whether its a concert or a poetry reading, a political rally or lecture, a stage performance or a sporting competition, or a conversation about any of the above in a living room or a coffee shop, Canadian culture is alive and well from coast to caost.

On Sunday there was no anti-Americanism, no perceived self-loathing, no mention of health-care and even very few references to hockey. Yet the music of the Hip, Matthew Good, The Trews and all the other bands and the event itself, held on the grounds of the RMC, was unmistakably Canadian.

All of the above mentioned stereotypes may be part of our culture, for better or worse, but none of them define our culture; Canada is much more than not-America, health-care and hockey. Our only limit is those who think that this is all that we are.

Posted by Matthew @ 1:41 a.m.