Calgary Citizen readers share their love for our country for Canada Day

We wanted to know what our readers love about Canada in honour of the nation’s 153rd birthday. Regardless of how you feel about celebrating this day, we still wanted to share what makes our country such a beautiful place to live. Thank you for your responses!

“First and foremost, the mosaic make up of our citizens. We are not a melting pot like our neighbours to the south. We are individuals, each with our own ethnic backgrounds, language, and heritage and we respect each others. Secondly, the natural beauty of this country, surrounded on three sides by oceans, having more lakes than any other country. We are a just society. Our health care system may have flaws and we need to revisit it more often, but it’s still one of the world’s best. Our respect for human rights.” — Allen

“I love Canada because of the mosaic of people who live here. There is every possible language/country represented in Canada as so many people have immigrated here since the early 1900s — and more continue to immigrate as our ‘doors’ are open. By far and large, we all get along well and work together for the better good. Canada is such a beautiful country from coast to coast. I have travelled to all provinces and lived in most provinces (due to work), and have loved every place. We need to vacation in our beautiful country and appreciate the beauty at our doorstep.” — Pat

“I love Canada because I’m free as a gay man and LGTBQ+ people are free to marry and adopt kids and give blood and more. Thank you, Canada.” — Garry

“I love Canada because this country welcomed my parents in. My parents had to start their lives over in their early 30s with a seven and a three-year-old child because they wanted a better life for us, so they literally left everything behind and immigrated to Canada and started with nothing. My sister and I grew up in this wonderful country and I feel blessed that my three children were born here. We are all Canadians first and we all love this country. Thank you, Canada!” — JP

“I wouldn’t pick anywhere else in the world to live, even if handed to me. Best country in the world: Cleanest; best health care and hospital system; best economy and best jobs; best university research; best natural resources, best scenery in the mountains, lakes, waterfalls, icebergs, prairies, and oceans; and the nicest, friendliest, caring people, kindest, most helpful to each other.” — Lynn

“I love to be here, love this country and city. Love the respect for women. It’s easy to settle here in this beautiful city with beautiful. This country always helps the needy and people who have trouble in their own countries. This is very humbling.” — Farah

“I love Canada, and it’s an advantage to live here. Universal health care, safety, and it’s a humanitarian place.” — Celina

“Being a flight attendant for many years in an international airline in the Arabian Gulf, I arrived in Calgary 26 years ago. I love the freedom that Canada has of religion, culture, and traditions. Love the multicultural food. I am an avid reader and love the Calgary Public Library, where there is a vast number of books I can read. Most of all, I like the Calgary Stampede.” — Germaine

“Canada is the best place to live. In 2018, I retired from my job and went to Europe to look for a place to retire. I went to Spain, Portugal, France and England and travelled extensively. These countries, like Canada, are a melting pot of people from all nations. After spending considerable time in each of these countries and speaking with many people, I learned that I live in the best place in the world. Canada is all-inclusive, our tolerance for all people regardless, of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation is the best in the world. I am proud to be a Canadian. One tends to think the grass is always greener somewhere else. It isn’t.” — Beverly