Calgary

'God bless this country.' Calgary residents reflect on how Canada Day feels different

Patriotism, nostalgia, fear — so many emotions for one national holiday. CBC Calgary's The Homestretch set up in a public library in Seton recently to ask southeast Calgary residents if Canada Day has been changing for them.

Residents say tariffs, wars, cost of living and personal memories all shape how they feel

People cluster around a white board full of Post-It notes.
Library patrons in Calgary's Seton neighbourhood share their thoughts on whether Canada Day feels different for them this year. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

Canada Day feels a little different this year to many Calgary residents.

CBC News created a pop-up speakers' corner at the Seton library branch in south Calgary last week. When we asked library patrons how they were feeling, the most common response was one of pride.

Christine Griffith said she's heading into Canada Day remembering the sense of unity that came in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

"Just seeing everyone really come together and support Canadians, and buy Canadian, just seeing that pride. It felt really good," she said.

A woman speaks to a reporting in a library atrium.
Christine Griffith is an artist and stay-at-home mother who has fond memories celebrating Canada Day while growing up in Ontario. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

Griffith is an artist and stay-at-home mom. For her, Canada Day has always been a time for family — BBQs and fireworks while growing up in Ontario. Now she's trying to share that with her daughter by teaching her the national anthem and continuing to be conscientious about Canadian brands as she shops. 

"I think it's still strong," she said. "We keep it strong in our family."

CBC News spoke with dozens of people at the library, inviting them to write their thoughts for a public display and talk through what's influencing those feelings.

Several people talked about the tariffs and how they are still expressing their support for Canada by buying Canadian whenever possible. For others, world events were top of mind — the tariff threats or the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and recently Iran. In light of these, some patrons spoke about being grateful for security and peace in Canada. 

Natali Maxwell is a Canadian who is originally from Peru. She said for her, the wars and also economic challenges here at home are weighing heavily and make this Canada Day feel different. 

Notes that people wrote on Post-It notes and stuck on a white board.
Library patrons in Seton, a library branch in southeast Calgary, left notes to describe how Canada Day feels to them this year. Many people wrote about their love for this country, and also about the complexity as they struggle with the cost of living and some political disappointments. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

"People are fighting for a piece of land.… People are fighting for a lot of things. There's no more love," she said. 

"But Canada is a strong country. If we stay united, everything will be good. It's just, God bless this country. I'm praying."

For Madelene Bustard, provincial politics were top of mind and are making this Canada Day emotional for her. 

"Canada Day is feeling very different to me this year," she said. "I have grave concerns about [Premier] Danielle Smith and her sparking this separation talk. I find it gross and not in our best interest."

"I feel like it's going to be the most emotional Canada Day I've ever had. Like, I have a military family and like I've always been such a proud Canadian. But now, I don't want my boys in the military. I don't know what's going on in this world. And I feel like if we separate, that's just going to put us more at risk of what's going on in the world."

A man wearing a Pink Floyd t-shirt speaks to the camera at Seton library.
Jonathan MacDonald grew up in the Maritimes. He says he feels less of a sense of togetherness and belonging as Canada has grown and changed over the decades. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

There were others with conflicted feelings around Canada Day, for both personal and political reasons.

One woman wrote about the memories she has celebrating with her daughter and grandchildren, which are especially poignant this year because they recently moved away.

A new immigrant wrote about celebrating his first Canada Day, and a man who immigrated more than a decade ago from the Philippines wrote about Canada being a place of both joy and struggle. He retired recently, he told CBC, but can't actually retire. He's still driving for a delivery app on the side.

"Canada Day is good and not so," he wrote. "Overall Canada is a good place to live. Happy Canada Day."

Do you feel differently about Canada Day this year?

22 hours ago
Duration 1:30
With everything going on in Canada and the world right now, we wanted to know if our country's birthday feels any different. The CBC's Elise Stolte posed that question to people visiting the Seton Library.

A woman said she doesn't celebrate Canada Day because she really wants to see more progress toward truth and reconciliation with Indigenous communities first. Several others said the cost of living, especially since the pandemic hit, makes life much harder and makes it more difficult to feel like celebrating.

Jonathan MacDonald grew up in a small, close-knit community in the Maritimes. He said he feels like the country has grown and changed. Immigration has brought diversity but also, he feels, isolation and he doesn't feel the same shared understanding and togetherness that he did before.

Others had more straight-forward emotions around Canada Day. Several kids wrote about Stampede breakfasts and drew pictures of fireworks. One man wrote "fly your flag" and said he made a special effort this year to buy flags early and do just that.

A woman holds a microphone and speaks with a man at the Seton library.
Jenny Howe, co-host of CBC's The Homestretch, speaks with Temi Adeyanju about how impressed he was with the way Canadians rallied in the face of the tariff threats. He works in finance and immigrated with his family from Nigeria two years ago. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

Michelle Anderson was listening to CBC's live updates from Seton on The Homestretch and knew this pop-up was at Seton. She stopped in and said reading all these notes made her think about when her dad moved the family here from Ireland 40 years ago. 

She sat down to write her thoughts: "Canada is a short word with a long meaning — hope, friends, health, open spaces, joy, pride and peace."

Then after a bit, she came back to add: "Home is also a word that is short with a long meaning."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elise Stolte

Journalist

Elise Stolte has 20 years of experience telling the stories of her community and has been recognized for feature writing, social-impact and community-based journalism. Today she works as an editor and bridge to help communities tell their own stories with the newsroom. You can reach her at elise.stolte@cbc.ca.