Most recent print edition: Jul 28

– Last updated: Today

• About Us
• |
• Contact Us
• |
• Advertising
• |
• Submissions

News

Canada has something special

Rebekah Hammond - Science & Tech Editor

If you don't appreciate it, you're bound to lose it.

Along with keeping the crowd laughing with political quips and Newfie jokes, Rex Murphy had an important message to Canadians.

"Canadian's have a taste for moderation," Murphy said. "Outside of your family life and what you do for a living, [Canadians] have created a common organization and created a social interaction with community. If we make ourselves deeply aware of how exceptionally providential we are, it would sharpen our determination to keep those benefits and make sure we'll leave it to the future generation."

Canadian political and social commentator, Murphy was hosted by the Canadian Home Builders Association and spoke last Tuesday at TRU's Grand Hall to a full house of 500 people.

Murphy's talk, titled Fragile Loyalties, Intense Commitments: the Art of Being Canadian focused on how Canadians have been endowed not only with an abundance of resources, beautiful natural landscapes and vistas, but also a national feeling of stability, community and openness.

"We have a relationship with a landscape that is not idle. We do fashion strong connections to the particular place we live." Murphy said. "We talk in terms of five, ten years. We talk about tomorrow in big terms and with confidence."

"[Canadians] have learned to deal with each other," he said.

He gave the story of Gander, Nfld. as a parable to the hospitable community Canadians have created

During the 9/11 disaster, international flights were diverted to Gander and the people of Newfoundland rallied together to attend the needs of the worried and stressed travellers.

One busload was taken to the small town of Gambo Nfld and taken care of.

Trucks were left in the parking lot with the keys left in the ignition, "just in case they wanted to go take a drive." The women offered to wash the women travellers', "delicates and hand them in through the back door." And a backyard was the site of a wedding ceremony and house vacated for a young couple who'd been enroute to Las Vegas for a hasty marriage.

"My point is, this wasn't a gesture of the moment, but a product of centuries of civil code; it was the highest one" Murphy said of the generosity of Gambo. "If anyone is in genuine need, make sure they receive whatever small assistance is available"

"We've built an entire nation on this cardinal rule, we're all neighbours," Murphy said. "You see in the fate of your neighbour, the fate of yourself. You hope that if it happened to you, they'd do the same."

Guests in the crowd were entertained, but they also took something greater away from the lecture.

"It made me proud to be Canadian," said Leanne Knowles who lives here in Kamloops. "Not because I think, it's always proud to be a Canadian, but I think especially when you have this kind of thing happening and with the flame coming through, I think it's really cool,"

Murphy warned Canadians, however, not to take what they have for granted or let it get to their heads.

"We've got that terrible disaster two weeks ago in Haiti, those people don't deserve it. Those kinds of things happen," he said. "If we realize that in some cases, it's not through our own exertions we have so much and we seem shielded from so many ugly situations, it should really deepen our appreciation. Deepening appreciation is the first step to making sure you don't lose it."

Roger Barnsley, TRU's president summed up the sentiments of the guests when he thanked Murphy for coming.

"That was just so special. You've entertained, encouraged and enlightened us. Thank you for reminding us how fortunate we are to live in such a great country."