What Is a Canadian?
The Question That Defines Us
| Michael BatorSep 27 |
What does it mean to be Canadian?
To me, it isn’t about the paperwork in your pocket or what Ottawa tells you to be. It’s about living the values, the culture, and the freedoms that built this country. Canada belongs to its people—not to bureaucrats, not to lobbyists, not to global institutions.
My father once told me: “A title doesn’t make the man—the man makes the title.” In the same way, Canada was not made by politicians, but by ordinary people living out the timeless principles of Christianity, Roman law, and Greek philosophy. That foundation gave us a high-trust society rooted in moral values and personal responsibility.
Our Proud Canadian Moments
When I think of what it means to be Canadian, I think of our proudest moments:
- The Trucker Convoy — when ordinary men and women stood shoulder to shoulder for freedom and reminded the world that Canadians do not bow to tyranny.
- Terry Fox — who showed us courage, sacrifice, and hope by running a Marathon of Hope across this great land.
- Vimy Ridge — where young Canadians fought and won together, giving birth to a nation’s pride on the world stage.
- The 1972 Canada–Russia hockey series — when Paul Henderson’s goal wasn’t just a victory on the ice but a declaration of who we are: resilient, united, and unwilling to back down.
These stories define us. They prove that being Canadian means rising when the odds are stacked against us, daring to stand for what is right, and never letting fear dictate our future.
What We Risk Losing
And yet, today, we see those very foundations being chipped away. Through the spread of DEI bureaucracy and ideology, and through policies that erase our history and silence our voices, it feels as though the essence of being Canadian is being rewritten—our culture diluted, our identity blurred.
If we allow that to continue, we risk losing not only our freedoms but the very spirit that makes us Canadian.
The Canadian Spirit
A Canadian is someone who cherishes freedom—freedom of speech, freedom over your own body, and the right to live without coercion. We stand firm against top-down controls like lockdowns, digital IDs, and international dictates that strip away our sovereignty.
A Canadian is resilient. We don’t fold under fear. We step up, we speak out, and we discover that we are far more capable than we ever imagined. That spirit—that courage—is what makes us who we are.
I Am Canadian
So when I say, “I am Canadian,” I mean I am free. I am sovereign. I am part of a community that takes care of one another. And I will defend those things with everything I have.