For my final post, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on how these individual parts of Canada that I have investigated have shaped me as a Canadian.

1) Where I’m from

I grew up in the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford to be specific. It was a great place to grow up. The majority of my family lived there and I had a good community of people around me. It was a large enough city that there were options for restaurants or activities, but also small enough that we felt safe enough to run around the neighbourhood or make friends at the park. My family has a cabin up north on Nimpo Lake. We spent so much time here growing up and this place was very foundational to who I became as an adult. I loved building tree forts with my dad, painting rocks with my mom, cooking in my mud kitchen, and catching more fish than my brother. The dichotomy of my life in a small city (a city in the country, some may say) and in a significantly smaller town in the Chilcotin was perfectly balanced and gave me the city and rural experiences of Canadians. 

My brother and I with our haul

2) Companies

    Tim Hortons is one of those places that feels nostalgic and ever-present. From the hot chocolates my late-grandpa would entice me with so I would come to my brother’s Peewee hockey games, to the farmers wrap that can cure any hangover. Timmys will always be a place I go when I need a taste of home.

    Grandma Hilda’s submission to model for Tim Hortons (2017)

    3) Books

    As I’ve previously said, Robert Munsch stories are pivotal to my childhood. Mmm, Cookies! Never fails to make me laugh. I am excited to discover more Canadian authors in my adulthood that I can love and learn more. 

    4) Music

    Mariana’s Trench is unironically one of my favourite bands. Their music always resonates with my soul. Ever After was one of my favourite albums growing up and I love growing up with them as each new album is released. Listening to my Required Canadian Listening playlist does bring me great nostalgic joy but honestly, Marianas Trench is the primary Canadian artist who I still frequently listen to in my 20s. 

    5) Stereotypes

      Hockey does not appeal to me. There, I’ve said it. I respect sports, I respect being a fan of something, I respect the community it brings. But I am disinterested in partaking in that part of Canadian culture. To be fair, I don’t follow any sports teams. I think my Canadian identity can be seen in other ways, as seen by the examples above. 

      Looking to the future

      Exploring these aspects of the country that make up my home has been rewarding. It has been a journey of finding who I was, who I currently am, and who I hope to be. I have plenty of hopes for what I hope is in Canada’s future, but it has been so great to recognize all the things I love about this country. Looking forward to more time exploring Canada.