Yes indeed. After 35 years in Canada, I decided to go back to sunny southern France to escape the Canadian Winter. But one of the other things that bothered me in Canada in the few years before I left was the growing patriotism : Canadians were PROUD to be Canadian and would let you know many times a day. Some of my students wore a T-shirt with the logo : we kick shit. When asked what that meant, they told me : "we are the best". I hope this patriotism hasn't turned into nationalism...as France is preparing to elect Mme Le Pen...
Thank you Andrea, Your work shines needed light on eras and practices that, despite acknowledgement, seem to remain shrouded in a fog of unknowing. I look forward to reading your pieces here.
Thank you Andrea for this deep, honest, valuable, thoughtful reflection on Canada. The Jewish people (of which I am one) have just recently finished honoring our annual day of atonement. It is the most solemn and probably the most important day of the year for us, where we pray about all the ways in which we have "sinned" during the year. The Hebrew word for 'sin' translates into 'missing the mark.'
Every year, once we are 13, we reflect on ways we missed the mark and could have done better, and we pledge to do more in the coming year to become the people we were created to be.
I LOVE the idea of looking at ourselves squarely in the mirror as a lifelong, and DAILY practice. May this be so as individuals and as a country in Canada forever!
A powerful piece. A recent trip to Stratford allowed me to see Forgiven, the best play I have ever seen, which lifts up the experience of Japanese internment. Especially in these times, living in the open truth of our history with indigenous people, and many racist stories is important. The true north strong and free is only part of our story.
I so agree with your suggestion that we should erect billboards --- not just issue stamps -- that proclaim the following "In sitting with the truth, in seeing, naming, facing the full picture of shameful injustices close up, a nation may have the chance to learn from the past and to be on guard for forebodings in the present." Our colonial past is an example of such an ongoing injustice -- to date, a mere 15 of the 94 calls for action, issued by the Truth and Reconciliation 16 years ago, have been implemented. Thank you for your honesty, wisdom, and courage, Andrea.
This is an important reminder to park our virtue posturing and moralizing, focusing instead on the heavy lifting of addressing our collective demons. This shifts applies to other parts of our social, economic and international lives.
I have traveled to Canada dozens of time and never knew about the internments you mention--thank you so much for exposing them to your readers. I did know, however, that Canada refused to accept refugee Jews during the Holocaust and infamously turned away that ship, the MS St. Louis.
I think the story of the St Louis voyage is a little more complicated. In May 1939, the St. Louis sailed from Hamburg, Germany, to Havana, Cuba. The 937 passengers were almost all Jewish refugees. Cuba's government refused to allow the ship to land. The United States and Canada were unwilling to admit the passengers. The St. Louis passengers were finally permitted to land in western European countries rather than return to Nazi Germany. A sad event.
I wasn't claiming that Canada was the only country to bar them entry. I was just adding an example to the blog essay. And the tragic story is *very* complicated, beyond the scope of my initial comment:
Admitted to Great Britain: 288 passengers, with all but one surviving World War II.
Returned to Continental Europe: 620 passengers, who disembarked in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.
Died in the Holocaust: 254 of the 620 passengers who returned to continental Europe were murdered in the Holocaust.
Survived the Holocaust: 365 of the 620 passengers who returned to continental Europe survived.
Agree 100%: “ I therefore plead for retiring the naive spirit of self-congratulation and low tolerance for self-criticism that I have detected since I landed here. I advocate for adopting a courageous wide-angle lens that is unwilling to censor out inconvenient realities.”
Andrea, thanks for reminding us to look at ourselves closely and try to do better. As Canadians, we are smug and superior. We are obsessed with, and distracted by, the foibles of others (especially our neighbors to the south). Time to focus our attention and energy on being the country and the people we profess to be and stop consoling ourselves with that weary phrase ..."well at least we're not as bad as." We set a very low bar for ourselves and even then we fail.
Yes indeed. After 35 years in Canada, I decided to go back to sunny southern France to escape the Canadian Winter. But one of the other things that bothered me in Canada in the few years before I left was the growing patriotism : Canadians were PROUD to be Canadian and would let you know many times a day. Some of my students wore a T-shirt with the logo : we kick shit. When asked what that meant, they told me : "we are the best". I hope this patriotism hasn't turned into nationalism...as France is preparing to elect Mme Le Pen...
Yes, I taught at Carleton.
I hope you wrong on your prediction. Did you teach in Ottawa?
Thank you Andrea, Your work shines needed light on eras and practices that, despite acknowledgement, seem to remain shrouded in a fog of unknowing. I look forward to reading your pieces here.
Thank you Andrea for this deep, honest, valuable, thoughtful reflection on Canada. The Jewish people (of which I am one) have just recently finished honoring our annual day of atonement. It is the most solemn and probably the most important day of the year for us, where we pray about all the ways in which we have "sinned" during the year. The Hebrew word for 'sin' translates into 'missing the mark.'
Every year, once we are 13, we reflect on ways we missed the mark and could have done better, and we pledge to do more in the coming year to become the people we were created to be.
I LOVE the idea of looking at ourselves squarely in the mirror as a lifelong, and DAILY practice. May this be so as individuals and as a country in Canada forever!
Hope in a postage stamp! Brilliantly written.
A powerful piece. A recent trip to Stratford allowed me to see Forgiven, the best play I have ever seen, which lifts up the experience of Japanese internment. Especially in these times, living in the open truth of our history with indigenous people, and many racist stories is important. The true north strong and free is only part of our story.
I so agree with your suggestion that we should erect billboards --- not just issue stamps -- that proclaim the following "In sitting with the truth, in seeing, naming, facing the full picture of shameful injustices close up, a nation may have the chance to learn from the past and to be on guard for forebodings in the present." Our colonial past is an example of such an ongoing injustice -- to date, a mere 15 of the 94 calls for action, issued by the Truth and Reconciliation 16 years ago, have been implemented. Thank you for your honesty, wisdom, and courage, Andrea.
Bravo. I did not know this internment occurred in Canada. I learned something. Thank You.
This is an important reminder to park our virtue posturing and moralizing, focusing instead on the heavy lifting of addressing our collective demons. This shifts applies to other parts of our social, economic and international lives.
Refreshingly honest and beautifully articulated. So appreciated. 🙏
Thank you for this timely, important message so beautifully woven around your purchase of a stamp.
Great piece.
Andrea! So full of. Impassion and awareness of injustice, this piece should be on billboards. Thank you.
I have traveled to Canada dozens of time and never knew about the internments you mention--thank you so much for exposing them to your readers. I did know, however, that Canada refused to accept refugee Jews during the Holocaust and infamously turned away that ship, the MS St. Louis.
I think the story of the St Louis voyage is a little more complicated. In May 1939, the St. Louis sailed from Hamburg, Germany, to Havana, Cuba. The 937 passengers were almost all Jewish refugees. Cuba's government refused to allow the ship to land. The United States and Canada were unwilling to admit the passengers. The St. Louis passengers were finally permitted to land in western European countries rather than return to Nazi Germany. A sad event.
I wasn't claiming that Canada was the only country to bar them entry. I was just adding an example to the blog essay. And the tragic story is *very* complicated, beyond the scope of my initial comment:
Admitted to Great Britain: 288 passengers, with all but one surviving World War II.
Returned to Continental Europe: 620 passengers, who disembarked in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.
Died in the Holocaust: 254 of the 620 passengers who returned to continental Europe were murdered in the Holocaust.
Survived the Holocaust: 365 of the 620 passengers who returned to continental Europe survived.
Agree 100%: “ I therefore plead for retiring the naive spirit of self-congratulation and low tolerance for self-criticism that I have detected since I landed here. I advocate for adopting a courageous wide-angle lens that is unwilling to censor out inconvenient realities.”
We must not forget our history. Thank you Andrea for your sobering reminder.
Andrea, thanks for reminding us to look at ourselves closely and try to do better. As Canadians, we are smug and superior. We are obsessed with, and distracted by, the foibles of others (especially our neighbors to the south). Time to focus our attention and energy on being the country and the people we profess to be and stop consoling ourselves with that weary phrase ..."well at least we're not as bad as." We set a very low bar for ourselves and even then we fail.