by L.A. Mood Comics and Games

By Dan Brown

I love Canada.

A lot.

There are, of course, things I would change about our homeland if I was in charge. 

I’m guessing you feel the same way.

For instance, I wish we flew the maple leaf all year around, not just on our national birthday which I like to call by its old name, Dominion Day – see, I told you there are things that bug me!

I wish Canadians weren’t so hesitant to celebrate our shared national culture. I wish we did more to promote our values around the world. 

Canadian values are good values, and we shouldn’t be ashamed about trumpeting what we believe in to the rest of humankind.

I’ve even heard some people are ashamed to make patriotic gestures like flying the flag, even on July 1.

I started noticing this a few years ago. People would say to me, “________has co-opted the flag,” meaning a group or movement or organization or political party or individual they didn’t agree with.

So these people won’t display the maple leaf because they see it being flown on pickup trucks.

And other people won’t display it because they see flags in parades with the red parts replaced with a rainbow.

I’m here to remind you it belongs to all Canadians.

That means the folks on the right, folks on the left, and those of us who don’t identify with either of those positions.

If you think the red-and-white has been taken from you, and you want a way to fight back, the way to do that most effectively is to hoist the flag yourself. 

Fly one on the front door of your house. Put it on your car. Get a maple-leaf T-shirt. Strap a miniature version on your dog. Trust me. You can’t offend me because I will never tire of seeing it.

This column is scheduled to be posted the day after Canada Day, but I would love if we could make a national habit of displaying the flag proudly all year long. Don’t take your Canadian flag down when this column goes up. 

Oh, and let me know how you spent your Canada Day in the comments. Also, let us know what aspect of Canada you love the most.

Is it the landscape? The Rockies? Cottage country? The people? Your neighbours? Our amazing writers and other artists? Canada’s talented athletes? Maybe it’s hockey, or poutine? Is it Wolverine? RUSH? Something else?

As I write this sentence, the hottest musical act on the planet right now, Quebec’s Angine de Poitrine, is playing on YouTube. 

The duo are from Saguenay, Quebec (or possibly another planet), but to me they represent the kind of culture and daring attitude that could have only happened in this country. They’re kind of like the Cirque du Soleil of rock music. 

Purely Canadian.

They are just the latest example of our nation’s creativity and excellence. We are a young dominion, bursting with natural resources, that is home to a resilient, forward-thinking people. If we play our cards right, the future will belong to us.

All the best to you, my fellow Canadians!

Dan Brown has covered pop culture for more than 33 years as a journalist and also moderates L.A. Mood’s monthly Graphic-Novel Group book club.