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To me, one of the defining characteristics of the Canadian Spirit is the pride that we take in sharing our communities, our customs and our culture with others. Growing up in rural Alberta (the daughter of a former Calgary Stampede Princess) I vividly remember the time that my family got to host a Chicago filmmaker during his exploration of Calgary Stampede culture. I recall my mom’s pride in the opportunity to share her world with a far-away audience.

Later on, during my university years, I remember having my own opportunity to share a little piece of my world. A roommate’s mother and aunt had travelled all the way from Mexico City for a Christmas time visit and the four of us packed thermoses of hot chocolate and crammed ourselves into my Pontiac Sunfire to take a driving tour of the Christmas lights in Mount Royal.

Lastly, and in recent memory, my sisters and I took a summertime trip together to Halifax. We arrived on a glorious Canada Day and as soon as we started walking along the boardwalk of the harbor a crew of Haligonians invited us onto their sailboat to share in their Canada Day festivities and in the charm of their city. Their generosity didn’t end there: by the end of the trip we had gone on an awesome tour of the harbor aboard the “Revelation” and we had made a bunch of new friends.

When I think about how we as Canadians should play a part in celebrating Canada’s 150th, and I think about the attention that has been given to promoting exploring within Canada this year, I hope that we are all able to find opportunities to share a bit of the magic of our own corner of the country with others!

Bridget B – Gemini

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