Over the Edge - November 16

lifestyles

UNBC AND CANADIAN IDENTITY

Let's Get ‘Er Done

JARROD WEISNER
LIFESTYLE EDITOR

ecently, McLean’s magazine
visited UNBC as part of their
current issue’s topic watch

on Canadian universities. Some re-

porters and photographers freely
travelled our hallowed halls, snap-
ping moments and asking questions
about programs, university life, and
showcasing UNBC’s ability to remain
one of Canada’s top research inten-
sive schools (and also the greenest,
of course). I experienced one such
encounter of curiosity myself in a
classroom full of fellow Northern Ad-
vancement Program students being
shadowed throughout an hour and a
half long course two weeks ago.

The photographer explained the
situation, asked us questions about
the NAP in general, and then moved
onto personal questions as we were
split into individual class-related
study groups. I have to admit, how-
ever, that when it came time to give a
response to a question asked as I non-
nonchalantly checked the Canucks
score on my phone (I’m assuming we
lost that night — big surprise!), I stut-
tered more than usual.

For the sake of the argument,

we’ll assume he was older and spoke
through a wise bearded face, with
eyes that told the tale of many a story
brought to print. “Son, what, in your
opinion, does UNBC’s identity add to
Canadian identity as a whole?” I sunk
in my seat, my thoughts racing faster
than Alexandre Burrows on a short-
handed breakaway. “Can you repeat
the question?”

As a Canadian who has spent a very
good portion of his life in different
parts of the US of A, you’d think that
returning to Canada and even viewing
the nation objectively from a distance
which I would be able to immediately
define what my country’s true identity
is. Furthermore, now that I have been
a student at UNBC presumably long
enough to grasp a feel for the culture
of campus life, you would also think
that I would be able to incorporate
that into a quick, solid, feel-good re-
sponse to the question. Oh boy, was
I wrong.

Arguably, Canadian culture is
one of the harder things to define in
a world of more ancient histories and
cultures. Technically speaking, Can-
ada is a melting pot of ideals, cus-

toms, and rituals that one really has
to grow up with to understand. From
an early age, you respect Canada be-
cause it is your home. As you grow,
you learn that it is larger than many
countries combined, with a popula-

“ Canada,
for me,
is the
definition
of cultural
respect. ”

tion of barely a quarter of some other
nations. The true North strong and
free isn’t kind sometimes, and this
climate and way of life demands rug-
ged courage, the type that breeds fast

and hard hitting ice sports that cannot
even be found on other continents due
to the sheer nature of the thing. This
land is also rich though, and futures
are born out of the salt of the Earth,
and a certain race of people govern
themselves with doctrine that blurs
boundaries like an Alberta snowstorm
in January.

These aspects of Canadian living
transform themselves into pillars onto
which we stand and write laws and
describe the stories that each brought
us to the freest place on earth, on our
terms, with our beliefs. The fact is,
Canadian culture isn’t easy described,
and fitting UNBC into the definition
with that specific type of question
only hinders a Canadian’s ability to
fully, truthfully, and lovingly, respond
with the type of passion that other
Canadians feel in their hearts when
they read those words.

Canada, for me, is the definition of
cultural respect. Our nation is based
on conflict for choice and discovery,
and historically speaking (not that
they learn much about us anyway),
Americans still call us “Americas
Hat”. Well, as any Canadian knows

UNBC MEDIA

better than most, when the weather
turns bad and your toque isn’t on your
head, you’re wrestling with frostbite
and you are eventually left out in the
cold for good. As a matter of fact, I
don’t mind helping the world remain
stable, because everyone needs a big
brother to keep them safe, especially
when they have a little one who in-
vented the modern bully bike rack
beat-up and often loses their balance.

Canada teaches you how to be
stronger than you think you will ever
be. However, the secret to being a true
Canadian is knowing you already had
this strength in you from birth — you
just have to wait for the right time to
answer with it.