Canada Day is upon us, and I just walked around a very pretty, older middle-class neighbourhood distributing a flier giving reasons for why Albertans should leave the nation that once nurtured us. Am I a “separatist traitor” as more than one person has alleged to my face? It is a question worthy of serious consideration.A traitor is defined as one who violates his allegiance and, in a breach of trust, betrays his country. The question is, “Who or what is my country?”Recently, three like-minded friends and I attended a meeting that had nothing to do with independence. The other attendees knew what our views were on those matters, but those matters were not up for discussion. When the business of the meeting was concluded, an older man addressed the issue of independence from his perspective and suggested that to even consider it was foolish. The temperature in the room dipped, but nothing froze. One of my friends asked if the others could see that the referendum question was a free option rather than a statement of intent, and there was some discussion about that idea. The discussion ended when a 35-year-old man stood up, looked at everyone, and said, “You all need to go home and ask your sons and daughters what they think about remaining in Canada. I don’t know of anyone my age who is not planning to move to the United States if Alberta does not become independent.”Everyone was stunned. His statement was certainly consistent with conversations I had with my grandchildren, and I had read polls suggesting such an age-related disparity in views, but this was the first time I had heard it put so bluntly and publicly..The neighbourhood in which I had dropped information was clearly “Boomer dominant.” They had bought and maintained their well-spaced houses and created a lovely community. And in all fairness, good for them. Their children, I suppose, may be having a difficult time buying a house in a similar community. They get to buy overpriced, smaller homes in neighbourhoods so densely built that a fire in one house rapidly spreads to adjacent houses. Life is a bit different for younger Albertans. I could go on about their difficulty in getting into universities and trade schools, getting a first job at McDonald’s, and a host of other problems unique to those younger than me.So, this Canada Day, am I a traitor? If “my country” is defined by the dictates of politicians — Mr. Chrétien’s statement that Canada is defined by universal healthcare comes to mind — then the answer is yes, I am a traitor. But what if my country is defined by the opportunities that are afforded to newer generations by the actions of older generations? What if “my country” is measured by the lack of opportunity that strangles the hopes of younger Canadians due to the indolence of the boomers? Then who is the traitor?This Canada Day, I lament many things. I lament the fact that multiple generations of younger Canadians are on the verge of giving up hope and leaving for a new country. I lament the fact that the political systems and people who worked hard to give me opportunities to work, raise a family, and enjoy life under the sun no longer exist. And as I walked through the lovely community described above and noted all the Canadian flags and patriotic expressions of unity, I lamented the lack of younger people who could break into that bastion of boomer complacency..If it is possible to be traitorous to my country, it is also possible to be traitorous to those who come after me. Sadly, it seems to me that one is mutually exclusive of the other. I can’t be a Canadian patriot without being a traitor to my children and grandchildren. If I am wrong and someone can explain where I err in my thinking, I will be very grateful to be set straight. But, apart from calling me a traitor, no one has offered such a happy explanation. Fifty years of history says you can’t do it. This Canada Day, I will hear lots of soporific nonsense about “linking arms to ensure Quebeckers get a high-speed train” or that the solution is “a sovereign nation within a united Canada” or “I had no intention of giving developers a bailout!” or “Here is a phone line to report on your neighbours.” Hopefully I won’t have to hear again that “Canada is a post-national state, and Canadians have no unique identity or culture.”Once again, who is the traitor? Thanks, Mr. Trudeau, Mr. Carney, Mr. Poilievre, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Nenshi.
