by John Norton
“Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn
I lived nearly seven years in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s. This was not an easy time in Russia as political upheaval left many without homes and jobs. I remember walking through empty grocery stores and seeing soldiers of the Red Army beg for food, being willing to trade their uniform belts or hats for loaves of bread.
Having been born and raised in a sheltered and quiet Canada, I entered young adulthood with an overseas journey to “find my adventure and fortune” with the added thought of helping those less fortunate along the way. I came home to Canada later with enough adventure to last a lifetime. I also came home rich in memories and friends.
On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act came into effect, creating the self-governing Dominion of Canada out of three British colonies. Although this statute of the Parliament of the United Kingdom was only the first of several evolutionary steps toward independence for Canada, it is the date from which we generally measure the beginning of our national identity.
And so Canada Day, as we call it today, is a time for reflection on all that our forbearers have accomplished in creating this magnificent nation. It is a time to remember the freedoms, values and benefits we enjoy as Canadians.
I returned to Canada from Eastern Europe in 2001. I have been struck over these past 15 years about how great this land of the true north strong and free really is. It is a nation of relative goodness and success when measured against almost any other; we enjoy peace and safety, healthy democratic institutions, corruption-free police and court systems, reliable and trustworthy banking, abundant food and housing, cultural richness, religious tolerance, accessible health care and education, and the right to live as one deems desirable – which can all be summed up as the “right to life, liberty and security of the person” as Section 7 of our Charter of Rights reminds us.
On this Canada Day I reflect on my country of Canada, my province of Ontario and my home of Chatham-Kent. I think of how Canadians come together to help each other during times of need, such as the recent Fort McMurray wildfire, Lac-Mégantic and the Calgary floods. I think of how Canadians have welcomed Syrian refugees who will be spending their first Canada Day among us. This all makes me proud to be Canadian.
I remember in 1995 standing on the southern edge of the Caucasus Mountains looking north to the Georgian-Russian mountain border and into war-torn Chechnya. Flashes of red and orange ominously lit up the cloudy night sky. What I thought at first was a distant lightning storm was explained to me as the far-off reflection of the Russian bombing and burning of Grozny, capital of Chechnya.
A few years later I remember learning of my good friend Nina Davidovich being kidnapped in Chechnya while providing humanitarian aid to the refugees in that province. Nina spent six months in 2002 chained and in a hole in the ground which her captives made her dig herself. Luckily she was freed with the help of many friends.
I recently had occasion to correspond with Nina. Today she carries on work we did together in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), overseeing a clinic for those suffering from the physical and unnecessary social effects of life with AIDS in Russia.
Nina tells me that “many things have changed but nothing has changed” in Russia since the 1990s. There are now cell phones and expensive cars for the wealthy but the poor remain marginalized.
I miss Nina and the many friends I made in Russia.
I think that in Canada too it could be said that “many things have changed but nothing has changed.” The poor are still being helped. We still enjoy relative peace and safety. We still have amazing health care and education systems. We still have a remarkably resilient democracy.
Yes, in Canada “nothing has changed.” And I’m grateful.
John Norton
Chatham-Kent
John Norton is the Chief Legal Officer for the Corporation of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. He is the corporate leader for the Legislative Services Department which is comprised of Planning Services, Building Development, Municipal Governance and Legal Services. In his professional role, John attends Municipal Council meetings where he has a front row seat to the happenings of local democracy in action. The views expressed in this column are personal only and are not the official positions of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
