Are there Nation Builders in our Midst?
The Globe and Mail has recently opened a contest calling for nominations of Canada's Nation Builders to "honour those among us who make a special contribution to Canada as a nation...looking for those outstanding Canadians who unify us and inspire us and, in so doing, make us a better people and a better country."
Thinking about this...who really is a NATION Builder?? Past winners include Mike Lazaridis, Sidney Crosby, Stephen Lewis, Sheila Fraser, and George Bush (apparently nobody did more to unify Canadians)?? Now...would you really consider Crosby a Nation Builder? Or George Bush? I can see how Lazaridis is a great candidate...he's created one of the most international and well-recognized Canadian brands. And Sheila Fraser certainly gave people a greater interest in the political scene...or anti-Liberal scene anyway.
What are we, as Canadians, proud of and want to be known for? Is it Science? Innovation? I've been thinking about this for days and cannot think of anyone who I would really consider to be a Nation Builder.
If you could nominate someone...who would it be?
posted by Tara @ 6:18 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Um... TJ obviously!!! :)
I dunno... NOT Harper... besides that, I'm pretty much stumped. LuluLemons is creating some massive pride. ;p And apparently they did NOT sell out to the US... which is sadly a lovely and rare anomaly. Who would YOU?
Hey Shirley!
Lululemon has created a great Canadian brand, but they've also been accused of some bad management practices. See the Chatelaine Magazine Article (http://www.lululemon.com/about/media/press/163) about how they've forced managers into a training program known for its boot-camp techniques, hard-sell recruitment tactics, heavy reliance on free labour, secretive nature and its links to Werner Erhard, a former Scientologist who developed the methodology.
For me, a nation builder has to go beyond consumerism, athleticism, and celebrity. A nation-builder, to me, is someone who instills a sense of pride to be a Canadian. The people I would consider highly would be David Suzuki, perhaps someone like Justin Trudeau or the founders of Free the Children who have worked tirelessly for youth, and companies like SNC-Lavalin or Bombardier, who have created some of the biggest, most well-recognized GLOBAL Canadian companies.
As for Harper, I think that he has been one of the best PMs in recent time to get people to take an active interest in public policy. Whether you love him or hate him, he’s created an interest in politics and EVERYBODY has an opinion about him. I think that sometimes, the most controversial leaders can also have the most impact. I’m not ready to discount him quite yet. I look forward to more feedback and opinions!
I’m pleased to see that the winners of this interesting competition are Sgt. Patrick Tower and Maher Arar.
In November, Sgt. Patrick Tower became the first ever Canadian to receive the Star of Military Valour. The courageous soldier saved at least four comrades in a brutal Afghanistan firefight.
The honour is one of the highest military decorations for valour in Canada, second only to the Victoria Cross. Both of those awards, along with the Medal of Military Valour, were created for the Canadian Forces in 1993.
Tower, born in Victoria, B.C., gathered together another soldier and the platoon medic, and took them through 150 metres of open terrain, without any place to hide or find cover while grenades and bullets rained down on the small group.
Maher Arar is a Syrian-born Canadian software engineer. In 2002, Arar was detained by U.S. officials during a stop-over in NYC en route to Montreal as a result of false information. Accused of being involved in a terrorist cell, and despite carrying a Canadian passport, he was deproted to Syria. In a Syrian prison, Arar was held in solitary confinement where he was tortured for almost a year, until his release and return to Canada in 2003.
After a public inquiry in Canada looked into the actions of Candian officals dealing with the deportation and detention of Arar, the commission cleared Arar’s name and was sharply critical of the RCMP and Canadian and US government departments. In 2006, the RCMP issued a public apology to Arar and his family.
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